Burning Yesterday
by sarsaparillia
Summary: Soulless-eyed girls, gilded bird-cages, and the scent of burning photographs. Running, for the dying princess of a dead country, is all that's left. — Sasuke/Sakura. INDEFINITE HIATUS.
1. Of Gypsies and Lonely Nights

What am I doing? WHAT AM I DOING?! …Oh, this is gonna be SO EPIC…  
**Disclaimer**: _Hiss_.  
**Dedication**: To Caitlin and Eleni and Xena. AIR KISSES. LOVE ME. Oh, yeah, and my mom, for helping me pound the plot-line out.  
**P.S.**: Take a guess at who the story-teller is. ;)

---

It is a cold night. There is a group of people, sitting in a circle, around a burnt-out fire-pit, in the dark. A scent of smoke lingers in the air; smoke, cooked meat, and the coming rain. It is a quiet night.

She is seated among them, morose as they, yet somehow more tired, more lost, more broken. More worldly, they all suppose, for she is quiet for much of the time she is with them.

When she is not quiet, however, they will listen.

She is not a great beauty; short dark hair, sharp dark eyes, dangerous dark smile. She opens her mouth - it commands respect; the people around this fire-pit are gypsies, and gypsies always respect a true storyteller.

This girl is one such storyteller, and they know she has the ability to paint pictures in the air with her voice, and with the stories she creates. They always seem… to come alive.

She smiles slowly, and says "Myths are tales, and tales are stories. Gather 'round, children, and I will tell you a tale of great sadness, great fear, and above all, great love.

It begins many, many years ago, in a very different world then the one we're in now…"

---

Lady Haruno Sakura, princess of the land of Fire, stood on a balcony, over-looking the busy noon-day market. She was a very pretty princess - vibrant green eyes (rare, so rare), alabaster skin (as is proper, on a princess), pretty smile, and, to top it off, soft, bright pink hair (kept short, cut to her shoulders; not so becoming on a princess -as long hair was the fashion of the day-, but her last fencing partner cut her ponytail off, on accident. Her Majesty, the Queen, was _not_ pleased, to say the least.

The princess, however, was delighted, and proceeded to throw a party.)

The girl looked, to put it mildly, _bored_. Dressed like the lovely lady she was -in a lovely-lovely green dress, to match her lovely-lovely green eyes-, she looked absolutely, utterly _bored_. A sigh escaped her lips, and she leaned against the railing, desperate to make it down to the market, and get out of that _horrid_ dress.

A quiet bubble of laughter popped behind her, and she started in surprise.

She did not draw the sword that was hanging at her side, but only because she knew that laugh. Hinata.

"Ai-yai-yai, must you _scare_ me like that all the time, girl?"

Hinata nodded, slightly deadpan. "Y-Yes, Sakura-hime."

They had been friends long enough that Sakura rolled her eyes. "Hinata, you don't need to stutter around me. Save it for my parents. Or for a knight."

The flush that crept across Hinata's face was unmistakable. She said "You're a b-bad friend. I d-don't know why I put u-up with you."

Sakura sighed. "Hinata, please, _drop_ it. I'm… not in the mood."

Hinata sighed right back at her. "Fine. But stop playing the martyr. Nothing is going to happen tonight. You're parents are going to let you off. Like always."

Sakura shook her head grimly. "Not according to what Karin was saying. Apparently, my mother is desperate to marry me off."

"We've known that for like, years. What are you worried about?"

"I'm worried that she might actually push it, this time."

"_Why_? You're the only heir, what on _earth_ are you worried about?!"

"That's exactly it!" Sakura muttered, exasperated. "I'm the _only heir_. And you _know_ how my mother is! She's been plotting grandchildren since the _day_ I was _born_!"

Hinata, as Sakura's oldest friend, and advisor, had heard this speech many, many a time. And really, she was starting to get bored of it. But, then, she _did_ understand - being a noble girl -single heir or not- was a pain in the ass.

"Sakura, it'll be fine. We're not on the brink of war. Actually, we're kind of in the middle of a peaceful era! You're only sixteen; you're not an old maid _yet_."

Sakura muttered ungratefully under her breath "I'd _rather_ be an old maid then marry any _one_ of those _idiots_ my parents have tried to set me up with…"

"C'mon, they weren't… _that_ bad…"

"Do you _remember_ Lee?! _Do you_?!"

Hinata winced, and tried not to remember that particular suitor. Besides the constant proclamations of undying love, and 'youth' (_youth_, of all things - _really_?!), he had just been… Really, really _weird_.

Sakura was still ranting. "-Even my _mother_ was wincing at the thought of our children. All I will say is: '_Pink. Bowl. Cuts!_' Are you okay with that image, Hinata?! _Are you_?! No! Of course you're not, because it's-"

Really, when it got like this, Hinata had learned to let Sakura rage and rage herself into oblivion; the faster she burnt the indignity of it all off, the better.

Sakura may have been childish, but she _was_ a good political strategist. Hinata knew it, the kind and queen knew it, for god's sake, the _whole freakin' city_ knew it.

Which was one of the only reasons Sakura's parents hadn't yet forced the girl into a very, very unhappy marriage (probably to a man twice her age, and if _that_ wasn't creepy, what _was_?!).

A marriage that was not beneficial to Sakura would not be beneficial to the kingdom, and anything that was not beneficial to the kingdom was -to an extent- a liability to the kingdom. And if something was a liability to the kingdom, it could, theoretically, be _detrimental_ to the kingdom.

And things detrimental to the kingdom had to be removed; like how it was better to cut out an open sore, rather then to let it fester below the skin. The kingdom must flourish - it must flourish at _all_ costs.

Therefore, _Sakura_ had to flourish. And for Sakura to flourish, she had to be kept happy.

"-And then there was- Hinata, are you listening to my rant of doom?"

"No, not really," the lovely, indigo-haired girl said, while inspecting her nails. Hm, they needed a cut, soon…

"Asgjkl, Hi-na-ta! You're a terrible friend! You're supposed to be _sympathizing_ with me-e-e-e!"

Hinata stared her best friend straight in the eyes, dead serious. To some, Hinata's pale-moon-lilac eyes were unnerving. To Sakura -who often had death glares sent her way from those same pale-moon-lilac eyes- was not.

"Sakura," Hinata said. "You are my best friend, and I know you better then you know yourself. I _also_ know you have to talk yourself through these things, and that nothing I say or do will change the outcome. What you think is what you think. Now, please, do shut up, come inside, and get dressed."

Sakura looked slightly panicked, as she remembered the ball that night (in honour of her sixteenth birthday - could it _get_ any more cliché?). So she whined.

Because that always seemed to work, for some reason… Especially with the _guard_… "Hi-na-ta-"

Hinata sighed, and put on the biggest, saddest pair of puppy dog eyes she owned, and the most pitiful pout in her arsenal. "Sakura, please?" she whispered, fake despair leaking into the words.

Sakura didn't even last a minute. She took one look at Hinata's almost-crying face, sighed in resignation, and let her oldest friend pull her into the castle's thick-stone walls.

"Fine," she muttered, annoyed.

Hinata just smiled quietly to herself. She _always_ won.

---

It took Hinata three hours to fully get Sakura ready for the ball.

_Three_. _Bloody_. _Hours_.

This, of course, included choosing a pretty-pretty dress (Sakura choose black. Hinata vetoed it. Sakura choose grey. Hinata vetoed it. Grumbling, Sakura choose the only other choice, a floaty white thing made mostly of lace. Hinata smiled, and helped her put it on), doing Sakura's short, bright pink hair (hair pulling, curlers, and violence, to say the least), and, of course, the dreaded _make-up_.

Both Sakura and Hinata felt it was better to not think about that last one.

When they were both _finally_ ready (it took Hinata all of five minutes to make herself beautiful, in a pale-moon-grey dress, hair laced into an elaborate twist. Sakura rolled her eyes at the unfairness of it all), the waited at the top of the Grand Staircase, to gracefully float down the stairs into the ball room.

Sakura was much in favour of skipping out of it altogether, and going and practicing her fencing against the pages in the barracks.

Hinata did not approve.

"I did _not_ spend _three hours_ of my day making you _gorgeous_ for you to screw it up, okay?!" Hinata hissed in Sakura's ear, as they waited for their signal. "I will _kill_ you if you screw your prettiness up tonight. I will let _Ino_ at you if you screw this up!"

Sakura pretended not to be terrified, and thus, for once, did as she was told.

A trumpet sounded, and the two girls took that as their entrance. They floated down the stairs, Sakura first, Hinata a half-step behind her, head slightly bowed. They were in the public eye, and suddenly, they were not equal friends, but Princess and Lady-In-Waiting - and this made all the difference.

They made it down the stairs without mishap, and when the two of them touched flat ground, a dull roar of applause hit them.

The two girls smiled beatifically around at the faceless mass of strangers - mostly nobles, with certain rich merchants thrown into the mix, and waited for the music to start, and for the group of noble girls they called friends to find them.

Ino found them first.

Ino was _beautiful_ - had Sakura been a boy, it would have been likely that they would have been engaged. Long, fashionable blonde hair, big blue eyes, full, cupid's bow lips, and a pixie's nose completed the image of scandalous perfection.

"_There_ you ladies are! I was worried that I would have all these _gorgeous_ boys to myself!" she exclaimed loudly, and threw her arms around Sakura.

To Sakura, she muttered, quietly "Kill me _now_, my mother is preaching about what I'm wearing _again_…"

"Shut up, you're a slut, you know you deserve it," Sakura murmured back with a polite smile.

"I hate you."

"I know!"

"Are we still spending the night up in the North Tower?"

"Yup."

Thank you, god." Ino murmured reverently in her ear for the last time, before withdrawing, and putting a polite distance between the two.

Sakura looked up, and saw that the rest of her friends were standing around her in a circle. Hinata and Ino, of course; Temari -the blonde-haired, teal-eyed, smirking genius daughter of the genius alchemist that worked for Sakura's father-; Tenten -an orphaned noble girl from the south, who'd been living in the castle since both she and Sakura had turned ten years old-; and Karin.

Sakura nearly threw herself at her cousin. "I haven't seen you in _ages_!"

The red-headed girl pushed her glasses up her nose. "You saw me earlier today, stupid."

"…Oh, yeah. Never mind, then."

Karin looked at Hinata. "She didn't get her dose of fighting, today, did she?"

Hinata rolled her eyes, the sweet smile fixed on her lips for the benefit of the people _not_ in the group of girls. "If you count fighting with me over her hair, then yes. If not… then no."

Karin shook her head, quite sadly. "I'm sorry, Hinata, that you have to deal with her. I wouldn't."

Hinata smiled. "Oh, I'll get my revenge, someday."

"Hey!" Sakura said indignantly. "Rude to princesses, here!"

Tenten grinned. "Sorry sweetie, we just don't really care."

And the night wore on, banter between the girls light and airy; happy thoughts filled their heads and hearts, and laughter came easily. The room was lit by roaring fires, and thousands of candles, flickering and flickering all over the walls, casting shadows and playing games.

It was a night meant for fun.

It was not a night where the dark matters that were weighing on all of their minds had the right to exist; tonight was a night to make merry.

And besides; they did not discuss such things in public.

_Those_ things were kept in the safety of the North Tower; Sakura's personal refuge since childhood. It was the only safe place to speak of such matters, and they all knew it. Marriage, actually, was normally one such topic.

But not tonight.

"Gentlemen, Lords and Ladies… the King!" called a herald, and the room quieted.

The King stood; red hair and beard flaming, bright blue eyes twinkling, he stared at his Court, picking out the familiar pink head of his only child. "Sakura," he called. "Come here, child."

Sakura smiled to herself. She may not have liked attention, but she did rather love her father. He had always been the driving force in her life; Sakura's mother was beautiful and serene, but quiet, a motherly hovering always on the edge of Sakura's conscious.

But Sakura's father…

He was an entirely different story. He was the first one to teach her how to use a sword, he was the first person to let her ride a horse astride, he was the first to- to- to let her be herself.

So she walked up to the raised dais he was standing on, head held high, and then proceeded to throw her arms around him.

He laughed, and swung her around, arms tight around her. "You'll always be my little girl," he murmured into her ear. "Always."

"And you'll always be my daddy," Sakura whispered back.

Of course, the Court was 'aw-ing', as was right and proper.

After the King put Sakura down, he did two things. One, he kept an arm around his daughter's shoulders, and two, he threw the other arm out, and waved for something.

Sakura blinked, when a squire-boy (she knew him; they had crossed swords once or twice… or eight times… or twelve…) came up, a reverent look upon his face. He was carrying a long, slender black case.

And Sakura knew, she just _knew_ what her father had gotten for her.

"My Court!" her father called. "Today is my daughter's sixteenth birthday! In a year's time, she will be old enough to wed, but tonight - tonight we celebrate her birth, sixteen years ago!"

He paused, and looked down at her. "Daughter," he said, his blue eyes merry, "Tonight, I am gifting you with this sword. I know you have long wanted it."

Sakura was breathless with anticipation as her father opened the black velvet case. Inside, nestled against blood red silk, was the most beautiful sword Sakura had ever seen. It was the sword that had, for the longest time, been Sakura's dream; made of bright, strong steel, double-edged, with a hand and a half hilt, and a golden guard.

Inscribed along the blade was Sakura's personal motto - "A blade-dream for all those who dance with steel", and, when she tested her thumb against the double-edged blade, she cut through skin.

Sakura stared up at her father, her eyes round, and made of liquid emerald. "Thank you, Father," was all she managed to say.

He nodded once, his eyes still twinkling like stars, and Sakura knew that she could go. He would not give her something like that, and then expect her to not try it out.

She stepped down off the dais, clutching the beautiful, beautiful sword to her chest.

Her friends rushed over, awe in their eyes, while her father told the Court to "Eat, drink, and make merry, for tomorrow shall be a new dawn,".

Temari gently touched the flat of the blade. "…Wow, it's…"

"_Beautiful_," Tenten breathed.

Sakura smiled. "C'mon, girls. Let's get out of here; they'll be too drunk to notice we're gone, soon."

The others nodded their affirmation, and the six girls slunk out of the hall. Eyes watched them disappear, of course -there were always eyes watching, always- but a particularly malevolent pair greedily watched them slip away.

"Tonight," the malevolent eyes whispered. "Tonight we begin."


	2. Of Ladies and Sword Fighting

I am cold and sick and wet, and updating. What more do you _want_ from me?!  
**Disclaimer**: _Hiss_.  
**Dedication**: Once again, to Eleni (uhm, uhm, uhm, you know why, too. "Flail- ASS CRUNCH!"). And Erika, and Dessie, and Caitlin, and Stephi, and Xena (BECAUSE SHE IS HAWT. ILYS), and Sonya (because she lets me bitch when I don't even deserve it. LOVE)...  
**Dedication x2**: To **Painter'sTape**! She's the only one who got who the story-teller was! OH YE-S!  
**P.S.**: It is _snowing_ where I am. THIS IS NOT COOL.

---

The sharp sting of metal-against-metal broke through the night, followed by much laughter and cheering. "Ha, take _that_, Tenten! Payback!"

"Oi! Try _not_ to cut me to ribbons, okay? I don't wanna die!"

"Everyone _dies_, stupid!"

"Not tonight, madam Princess!"

Metal clashed again, and the cheers grew louder. Sakura and Tenten twirled around each other, swords attached precisely at the middle of the blade, blocking, jabbing, anything, _anything_ to get the other to yield. Of course, they had changed into fencing suits - padding, breeches, and a tunic each; fencing in dresses was just _not done_.

After almost twenty-eight minutes of sparring, neither girl looked ready to quit, nor was neither tired. Given that Sakura and Tenten had been known to have sparring matches that lasted _hours_, this was not abnormal.

But the other girls were getting bored. They were leaning against the picket fence, quietly chatting amongst themselves, while Sakura and Tenten sparred happily.

"Hey, losers, can we _go_? You've been at this long enough, already!" Temari called, Sakura and Tenten, swords crossed high, at the moment, stopped moving, and looked at her.

"We're not done yet!" they both called back, and went back to sparring.

Temari twitched. "Don't make me come in there and break you two apart, because I totally will, okay? Now get _out_ of there! North Tower, remember?"

Sakura grimaced, and stopped the flat of Tenten's blade from hitting her in the shins. "_Fine_! Tenten, call it a draw?"

"Again? Really?"

"Really."

"Fine, it's a draw, _again_. Are we still even, or are you up one?"

"Nah, we're even, I think…"

The two girls confidently walked to the edge of the area, and slipped over the picket fence. The other girls stared at them, deadpan.

"You two look like idiots," Ino said boredly.

"What? Why?"

"You're wearing _padding_! You look like _men_!" She explained with a roll of her big blue eyes, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What-_ever_, Ino, if it came down to it, neither Sakura or I would take a sword to the gut. Excuse me for wanting to _live_," Tenten replied blithely.

Ino just rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up. We've got things to do, places to go, lives to ruin!"

"Uh-huh, sure, Ino. Whatever you say." Tenten shot back, but, even so, she and Sakura tore the padding off quickly.

Really, they all wanted to get somewhere, where they could entirely _drop_ the royalty act - even though there was no on around, the walls had ears, and mirrors weren't used as scrying tools for _nothing_.

Temari jerked her head, and the other five girls followed her, straight up to the North Tower.

---

It was quiet in the North Tower. It was _always_ quiet in the North Tower - as Princess Sakura's personal refuge, it was to be left alone, and only one, ancient, very loyal, loyal maid was allowed in, to clean it.

It was a safe place, and the girls all knew it. Here, in this Tower, Sakura could practice her fencing all she wanted - no disapproving eyes of the Courtly Ladies. Here, Temari could tinker with gadgets of all sorts, and not be shamed by the fact that she liked to _use_ her brain. Here, Tenten had a family. Here, Ino did not have to put on a display. Here, Karin could stop dealing with scheming family members. Here, Hinata was an equal.

Here was a place of safety, of freedom, and of total, brutal honesty.

"Ino, put some clothes on, you look like a prostitute," said Sakura.

"It's fashionable, Sakura, every in Court is-"

"I don't care. You're my friend, and I don't want men who are three times your age slavering over you. It's creepy, and a damn shame, okay? Besides, don't you ever, like, get _cold_?"

Ino sighed, and, with a toss of her long wheat-blonde hair, went to find a blanket to wrap around her exposed shoulders.

It was, after all, fairly chilly in the North Tower.

Temari immediately went to her corner of the Tower - an array of gadgets, bottles and bric-a-brac lined the table she had set up there, giving a mad scientist sort of impression. The sandy-haired girl happily sat herself down in front of it, and went, just as happily, straight to drawing up blue-prints for yet _another_ one of her crazy inventions.

Tenten had started a roaring fire in the hearth at the opposite end of the room, and she watched, happily, as the flames leapt and danced, quite merry in their own little world. She sat back upon the hearth-rug, and allowed the fire to warm her toes.

Sakura went and sat down next to her, and the two girls remained quiet, sitting comfortably together.

Hinata's first order of business was to get out of the dress she was in; in the North Tower, wearing a dress was normally the last thing _anyone_ wanted to do. Really, in their world, the girls _had_ to wear dresses most of the time - a chance to get out of the skirts was normally a relief, to _all_ of them.

Once she was dressed in a pair of loose breeches -very, very loose, around the waist and knees, especially; they ended at her calves, and hung off her hips-, and a shift, she, too, went and sat with Sakura and Tenten on the hearth-rug.

Karin seemed to be in a dilemma - she loved watching Temari draw up plans (everyone loved watching Temari draw up plans - it was something like marvelous), but she did also want to go sit by the fire. It _was_ rather cold.

Her dilemma, however, was solved a minute later, when Temari shivered, stood up, and walked towards the fire, and the others.

And so the six of them sat there, together, in a circle, every one of them facing each other. It was a quiet sort of companionship - the sort that grows out of having been friends for a very, very long time.

Finally, it was Temari, who said "Alright, what have we been hearing? And Hinata, do not resort to the stutter, we all know you only keep it up so that people think you're innocent."

Hinata smiled, innocent as spilt milk. "Well… My father's been talking about marrying me to a cousin of mine, again. I've only met him once - his name is Neji."

"And?"

"And my mother put it down like a rebellion being quelled. She said she didn't want me marrying that close in the family - apparently, he's my father's twin's son, which would make him _technically_ my half-brother."

"Uhm, creepy much?"

Hinata nodded. "Uh-huh. It's also kinda obvious who wears the pants in my family."

The girls fell into a giggle fit, and they only calmed when Tenten offered "I heard from the cooks that the Uchiha family are coming back to Court."

Sakura's eyes darkened. "Are they really? The jerk better not come back."

"Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke is _not_ a jerk. He's a very, very, very _good-looking_ piece of man."

"Ino… shut up, please. And how do you know? You haven't seen them since they left Court the first time, either!"

Ino shrugged. "I remember him being totally adorable. And no one that cute as a child could grow up ugly. _No one_."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Hinata said "Sakura, I'm sure he's not that bad. You were only engaged for like, five minutes! And you were seven years old!"

Sakura kind of… flailed in place. "But we were still engaged! I do not want to get married! Not now, not ever! We've been over this!"

Karin grinned. "To quote you: yeah, yeah, whatever."

Sakura sent her a stony glare. "So mean, Karin, so mean. Anything else?"

It was silent for a minute, before Temari said "I think the council's plotting something. Something big. I saw the one of the ambassador's giving you the evil eye, earlier tonight."

Sakura sighed heavily. "Yeah, I know. I keep telling my parents not to trust them, _especially_ Da-" she broke off, then started again. "You know who I'm talking about. I hate him. I keep telling them not to trust him, but they _do_ and I can't-!"

"Shh, it's okay Sak, we know," Hinata soothed.

"It's just-! It's ridiculous, Hinata, how oblivious my parents are, to some things. And I don't even know how I'm supposed to tell them things like this, because this Tower is the _only_ safe place!"

"We know, sweetie, we know. And we're trying."

"Trying?" Sakura asked, blinking at a smirking Karin.

Karin continued to smirk, and pushed her glasses up her nose, for the thousandth time. "Of course. You think we don't notice stuff like that? Tenten and I have been collecting dirt on the council for _weeks_."

"So… what do we have?"

Karin looked slightly disgusted. "_No-thing_. That's the problem. There's absolutely _no evidence_ of wrong-doing, when there _clearly_ is! I don't get it!"

Temari shook her head. "Neither do I; it doesn't make sense, because they all give you evil looks. And that ambassador looked like he wanted to _eat_ you."

"Creepy, much?"

"Uhm, _yeah_."

It went quiet as the six girls contemplated exactly what was going on.

Sakura looked pensive, and spoke slowly. "We know something's up. We know that much, _for sure_. Let's just stay on guard; if we're lucky, everything will go back to normal, right?"

Sharp nods went around the circle, and that was the end of the brooding-time in the North Tower.

---

The sun rose the next morning, as always, burning red against the early morning clouds. Temari looked annoyed, and murmured to herself "Sun rises red - sailor's dread; great, just _great_."

"Hmm?" Tenten stated sleepily, as she stumbled out of the North Tower, onto the balcony where Temari was standing, alone and wrapped in thick blanket. It was autumn - the leaves had started to change colour, painting the world in bright, vibrant, explosive hues of red, orange, and yellow. The trees had not yet started to lose their leaves, but the chill in the morning air spoke of a cold winter to come.

Tenten shivered slightly, and wrapped the blanket she had wrapped around her shoulders a little tighter. She went and stood next to Temari, staring out over the morning kingdom.

"Nothing, Tenny, just a saying, that's all. 'When the sun rises red, sailors will dread'." Temari said softly.

Tenten blinked sleepily. "I've never heard that one, before."

Temari laughed, as softly as her voice had been, before. "No, you wouldn't have. It's something my littlest brother told me, before he and my other brother went off sailing to find treasure a year before we came to Court."

"They never came back, did he?"

"No, they didn't."

"Do you think they're-?"

"What, dead? No, I don't. I just… don't know where he is. They can't be dead, though."

Tenten's brain was not processing very well, and so she continued to blink at the slightly-older girl (no one knew the precise date of birth - no one _ever_ really knew the precise date of birth), in a rather sleepy manner. "How do you know?"

Temari raised one of her shoulders, and then dropped it in a crow's uncaring, unknowing shrug. "I just know."

"Mhmm…" the younger, brunette girl-child murmured, and turned her attention to the early morning kingdom.

Not even the market had really started waking up yet; it was so early that only the cooks and the bakers were awake, preparing breakfast for a host of irritable nobles, later on in the day.

It was quiet between the two girls for a moment; a sleepy lull of happiness, it was. It remained quiet for a quarter of an hour, until Ino came exploding out of the North Tower, with a cheery "Good morning!"

"Oi, Ino, it's too early for noise!" Tenten stated, her eyes still half-closed with sleep, but half-awake with the chill of the early morning.

Ino, in a bright red dress the colour of a maple tree's leaves in October, trimmed in golden rope, smiled. The scarf wrapped around her neck, too, of a darker, mahogany colour, twined with the same golden thread that was wound into a thick rope on her dress and tied about her waist like a belt, completed the image.

Already, her big blue eyes were wide open, her cheeks pink with the early morning cold, her hair done up in the latest Court fashion. She seemed in a fine mood.

"C'mon! It's not so bad! Go get dressed, there's a hunting party this afternoon! We're all invited!" Ino said with a bell-like laugh.

The tall, gorgeous blonde, slipped back inside, leaving Tenten to mutter to Temari "Of course we're invited; we're _always_ invited, but those _idiots_ never give us the chance to say _no_…"

Temari chuckled, and tugged the seemingly-reluctant Tenten inside.

Things on the inside of the North Tower were an Ino-induced flurry of movement. Lady Sakura was groaning on the ground, half-awake and half-dreaming, while Ino threw beautiful dresses at her.

"Up, up! Seriously, _get up_! I'm hungry, Hinata's hungry, _Karin's_ hungry, and we're not being fed because _you_ are being slow! Get _up_, Sakura! You _know_ how you cousin gets when she hasn't been fed!"

All eyes turned to Karin, and a flush crept up her neck. Her appetite was the subject of many an inside joke between the girls; especially given that, when not sated, Karin was an absolute _beast_.

"_You_, my dear friend, are absolutely ridiculous," Karin said with a sniff.

But the flush on her cheeks gave her away, and it was to much, much laughter that the group of girls left the North Tower.

Once they reached the castle -of course, by now, more of the royal family was awake-, the first smatterings of food were appearing on the long, room-length tables. Sakura -the princess must always be a princess, firstly- invited her friends politely up to the head table.

When they accepted -just as politely, as is right and proper; they _were_ in the public eye-, Sakura happily led them to the head table, and showed them to their usual seats.

Sakura was _nothing_ if not gracious (when in public, perhaps; in private was another matter entirely).

So the girls happily sat down to eat, just as the remainder of the royal family entered the hall.

The Court stood as one; simply etiquette. The King nodded merrily at them all, and those in the room sat, and resumed the morning activities.

The King and Queen walked up the main aisle to the head table. Sakura wasted no time, and went and greeted her parents.

The happy glow that surrounded the family was felt by all; the royal family was loved by their Court and their People. They were just rulers; fair in all matters, to all people. Rank did not affect how a person was viewed in the eyes of the King - if an Earl was abusing his rights as Earl, the King would as soon kick him off his throne as send a murdered to the gallows.

The King was just, and the People loved him dearly.

Sakura, chattering happily to her mother, returned to her seat, in the midst of her friends.

"Father," she called out loud, "Lady Ino told me something about a hunting trip this afternoon-?"

The King chortled with laughter, and the Queen answered for him "I do wonder, Ino, how on _earth_ you learn of such things. The King told me not five minutes ago!"

Ino smiled slyly. "Your Majesty, I am simply good friends with the maids; and the maids know _everything_."

The Queen smiled a knowing smile. Really, it was such a good thing that Sakura was friends with Ino - it was simply such a pity that Sakura _refused_ to be _like_ the golden-haired girl. The Queen silently mourned her loss. Her daughter was not a simply princess - her daughter was going to be _rule_.

And a ruler should never, never bow to the demands of another. It was unbecoming of a Queen, and so, very slowly, the current Queen smiled to herself.

"Yes, Ino, I rather know you are," the Queen said, and continued to smile kindly at the blonde, who flushed in pleasure at the praise.

Sakura looked at her mother, for a moment. She was a beautiful Queen - with long, long hair the colour of snow piled atop her head, and sharp, see-all golden eyes, she was beautiful. Sakura had inherited the Queen's mouth, and her nose, and her mother's infamous temper, and prickly tongue.

All in all, Sakura thought she had the better end of the deal, as she had her father's spontaneity to make up for the sharp tongue.

The roseate princess sat back in her chair, and watched as Temari quietly tinkered with her glass, and murmured quietly to Hinata.

She smiled.

It was going to be an eventful day.


	3. Of Fake Romance and Dancing

So easy to write… But I'm still sick. Being sick, while detrimental to one's health, is _great_ for one's writing time.  
**Disclaimer**: _Hiss_.  
**Dedication**: My darling Caitlin (ugh, FF IS SO STUPID. I'll PM you back in a bit, once it stops being stupid). ILYILYILY. And Xena. ILYILYILY.  
**P.S.**: "So, uh, H. kind of has this unconventional-love type feeling for Riley." "Wait, _what_?!?" "But I'm not supposed to know…" -Eleni, to herself. … I am not even kidding.

---

Sakura urged her horse forward, through a patch of vibrantly red and orange oak leaves, and cantered after the hunting party. Her father was leading the party that day - gilt in warm brown velvet and gold, his booming laugh reached far and wide, deep into the hearts of all the party.

Of course, as much as Sakura adored her father, going hunting was not her favourite pastime. But it was better then needlework.

Sakura shuddered to herself. Needlework was her personal summertime boogeyman; it was utterly the most _boring_ thing in the world. It kept her inside when the sun was shining, and took away time that was simply _meant_ for fun. And it was just so _boring_.

It was the farthest thing from adventure, and that was what Sakura wanted. She wanted adventure, and romance, to ride far, far away, and save the princess from a dragon, and kill the witch who gave the princess away.

Because, in truth, Sakura would have much preferred to have been a gypsy, selling stories and fortunes to make her living, then a princess, standing atop a tower, waiting for _someone else_ to save her.

Sakura thought that she may have been a princess, but if it came down to it, she would certainly be able to save herself.

And _that_ was her saving grace.

Sakura looked up, and saw Hinata and the others waiting for her. Apparently, the party had moved on without her knowledge. Something about that fact made her just a little bit sad, although Sakura knew not why.

"Lady Sa-ku-ra, are you co-ming?" Ino called blithely, and Sakura wished to race towards them. Her horse, however -a beautiful mare by the name of Snowdrop- seemed more inclined to simply munch on the browning grass where she was standing, and Sakura almost laughed.

"I'm coming, Ino, once Snowdrop has her lunch!" she called back, and stuck her nose into the wind, to taste the air, of things to come.

There was a scent of autumn in the air; that crisp scent of pre-winter that lingers at the back of the minds of those who know it, always. _It is a nice scent_, thought Sakura decidedly, and finally _forced_ Snowdrop forward.

"C'mon, Snow, you'll have supper when we get back, yes?"

Snowdrop nickered in annoyance, and Sakura simply smiled.

The colours of autumn exploded in her eyes, just as laughter from the hunting party rung in her ears; and Sakura was left wondering how on earth life could ever be better then how it was right then.

---

The hunt was a success. One of the younger knights brought down a boar, and Sakura's father himself had gotten a fat deer, quite ready for winter.

"There will be a feast, tonight!" the King said to his Court, and the Court was pleased. On nights that there were feasts, life was merry, and no one went hungry. No one went sober, either, because the King would bring out his best ale, on such occasions.

All would have a good time, tonight.

But, of course, a feast would require that the princess would be there. And should the princess be there, her companions ought to be there, as well.

And so Hinata raced to the North Tower, Sakura tagging along, a step and a half behind her. The Lady-in-Waiting _needed_ to find that dress - there were two new families coming to Court, that night, and it was only right and proper that the Princess should _shine_.

Hinata smiled to herself. Yes, the Princess ought to _shine_, because -here, Hinata almost giggled out loud-, it was rather likely that tonight, yes, tonight would be another night where the Princess would- would- would probably end up kicking someone.

Hinata mentally sighed, just a little, and wondered why on earth she put up with such an unruly princess.

_There_ the pretty-pretty dress was; soft and clean, the colour of the ealiest, palest sunrise –a quiet, golden pink that would make Sakura _glow_-, as soft as down. Sakura _did_ look lovely in pale colours; she always had, Hinata thought quietly, with a smile, and proffered the simple gown to Sakura to take.

When the princess didn't take it from her, a look of horror etching itself onto her face, Hinata got determined. She did _not_ want to fight, today.

"Sakura, put the dress on. Please."

Sakura looked absolutely horrified. "But- Hinata, it's not like anyone _important_ is coming-"

Hinata set her jaw, carefully tucked one of the long strands of hair behind her ear, and quite literally dragged the reluctant princess into the North Tower. She said "Sakura, there are new families coming to Court, tonight. Please, make a good impression. For me."

Sakura stared at Hinata, quietly contemplative. Hinata did not ask for much; she almost never, never made personal requests of the maids; almost never, never asked her parents to let her do what she wished; and never, _never_, in the history of their world, asked Sakura for _anything_.

Hinata stood there, holding the dress, tiredness radiation from her body. "Please, Sakura. I don't want to fight about this."

Sakura almost sighed aloud, in defeat. Hinata never _really_ asked for anything, and so when she did, it was hard to deny her whatever it was she was asking for. "Who's coming, tonight?"

Hinata dared not hope. "The Uchiha family, and the Uzumaki family, I think. Your mother may have said something about a Lady Mikoto?"

Sakura paled. "Oh, no, she _didn_'t…"

Hinata looked slightly confused. "I'm… sorry, I don't really understand."

"My mother and Lady Mikoto are best friends. They're the reason-" here, Sakura broke off, and winced, momentarily, like she was remembering something entirely painful "-They're the reason I was engaged at all, in the first place."

Hinata, too, winced slightly. That time was legend – Hinata, personally, had not seen it; her family had not yet gone to Court, at that time, but… some of the older cooks and guards still eyed Sakura warily.

Apparently, human beings had a long, unforgiving memory, and Hinata was no different. But she was not going to give in to Sakura's pleading; not this time. She offered the sunrise-dress again. She asked again "Please?"

Sakura, this time, did sigh in defeat. "Fine," she said. "But – but just this once. Okay?"

Hinata smiled. "Sure. Just this once."

Sakura smiled back, grateful, in a sense. Yes, she was to be a ruler; yes, she would have preferred to have been a boy; and yes, she was not perfect. She was easily swayed by those she cared about; she was rash and reckless and sometimes spoiled; she was childish and petulant, most of the time. It didn't make her any less human.

But she could learn, and, to an extent, Hinata was greatest aid. At least, she was when it came to this growing up thing that Sakura _clearly_ thought she was not ready to do.

And while Sakura stood there, and let Hinata lace up the last vestiges of Sakura's broken pride (the dress was dreadfully tight around the waist; Sakura despaired), the roseate princess realized that she still had much growing up to do.

This, however, did not stop her from strapping her sword around her hips, in place of a jeweled belt, or the like. The familiar leather felt warm against her side, and the weight of sword and scabbard was comforting.

Sakura held her head up high; dressed like the princess she was, a blade at her side, she felt ready to take on the entire world.

Even if that meant beating Sasuke Uchiha into the ground, _again_.

Sakura turned, and look at Hinata. "Lady Hinata," she said, "You ought to get ready as well, you know. _Your_ parents want you to marry soon, to provide heirs for the line, correct?"

"Yes, Mi'lady," Hinata murmured, a sparkle of laughter in her eyes. It was always entertaining to the pale-moon eyed girl when Sakura went all 'royal' on her; it was entirely amusing on every level.

"Well," Sakura said decisively, "You ought to choose a pretty dress, too. It isn't fair that I be the only one to glow tonight, you know."

Hinata continued to play the subservient maid. "Of course, Mi'lady. Which dress shall I wear tonight? I would never want to outshine you, of course!"

Sakura smiled. It was _almost_ a grimace of sorts; there was revenge written there, clear as black and white. "Oh, I think you should wear… Hm, this _purple_ one!"

Hinata turned faintly red, and her stutter almost returned for a moment. "S-Sakura, that's-"

Sakura just smiled, the look in her eyes going from evil, to simply wanting the best for her friend. She carefully pulled the luxurious silk dress out from its spot in her wardrobe. It was the most beautiful dress Sakura owned - one that the princess hoped never to wear.

But the pale lilac of the dress would simply make Hinata look like a dark-haired, fallen angel, and Sakura knew it. She _also_ knew that Hinata's blood was almost as blue as her own true-blue blood was; it was only fitting, Sakura thought, that the _truly_ royal girls were the most beautiful beings in the room, that night.

Ino, of course, would be the loveliest thing in the room (she was forever-beautiful - that kind of beauty that just _shines_, no matter where one was, one could not help but notice it); Ino was almost _always_ the loveliest thing in the room. And if Sakura knew her friend at all, Ino would be dressed in sky blue; low bust line, shoulders bared, hair wound up in the latest fashion, as always.

Tenten would be disgustedly trying to get away from all the men in the room - Sakura knew that Tenten, also the last possible heir to an almost-royal line, was high on the list of prospective marriage proposals. She was also fairly close to the throne; and in the real world, power was power, no matter where it came from. Sakura also knew that Tenten rather loved the colour orange; perhaps burnt gold for the brunette, then.

Temari would, of course, be laughing. Given that she was not completely _royal_, she didn't actually really have to show up at _all_. But her father was among Sakura's father's closest friends, and so, this was unlikely. Temari would probably put up a fight, and end up at the feast in something warm, and dark-green-ish.

And Lady Karin would stay close to Sakura all night, to try to prevent her relation from doing anything that was violent, crazy, or stupid (Hinata would be a great help to Karin, in this; Sakura did stupid things often). Sakura knew her cousin better then anyone; she also knew that Karin would be deciding between black, and crimson. The crimson would win out; crimson _always_ won out, with Karin.

Sakura nodded to herself, as she thought of the picture they would make. Yes, a lovely, lovely group of girls. That's what they were. A lovely group of royal girls.

And if Sakura was lucky, they would all escape the feasting hall before the end of the night, and hide in the North Tower, or perhaps the jousting yards.

Being with her friends was _so_ much more fun then playing princess all night.

Sakura sighed.

But playing princess was what she was born to do; and do it well, she would.

---

The feasting hall was again lit with firelight and candlelight; it glistened and hung in the air like droplets of light. The air was thick with the scents of Court - too many people crammed into such a small space; roasted deer; thyme and other seasonings; smoke, too, and that odd, inviting scent that was the happy, not-dangerous kind of fire.

There was also the sweet scent that spoke of happiness; it dripped off the laughing faces of the Court nobles, colouring the air around them a special shade of laughter. It was a strange kind of night; the music lingering in the air was an orchestra of voices, violins, and mirth. It seemed the kind of night that was simply _made_ for magic.

Lady Sakura surveyed her Court, from the shadows in one of the corners, where she had hidden. Her friends were, mostly, being danced around the room, by the many different nobles their age, and a little older.

Sakura's bright-bright green eyes searched through the faces, and found Ino (in a sky blue dress that emphasized every curve the girl possessed, exactly as Sakura had predicted). She was in the circle of a man's arms, one that Sakura didn't know, smiling brightly. He was faceless and nameless, to Sakura, and she was not inclined to make his acquaintance.

Her eyes went back to searching through the Court, for her friends. She was so utterly absorbed in this venture that she didn't notice the man that was slowly approaching her.

"Lady Sakura?"

The voice that curled into Sakura's ears was low, warm, and smoother then satin. Her head jerked up, and her jaw almost dropped.

Standing before her was the most striking being she had ever laid eyes on. He didn't look much older then she was; but he could have been anywhere from sixteen, to eighteen. Dressed in black velvet and silver, he was tall - broad-shouldered. In possession of dark hair, pale skin, and long fingers, he was _beautiful_.

But his eyes were what caught Sakura's attention. They were wells of bottomless onyx. Her mind _screamed_; she _knew_ those eyes - but she couldn't place them. And they made her shiver a little, her dress rustling slightly at the miniscule movement.

She almost forgot to respond, as well. "Er-, yes?"

The warm-silk voice trickled into her ears again, as his hand was extended for her to take. "May I ask your hand for this next dance?"

Sakura's instincts rebelled. The sense of familiarity that lingered about him was revolting, but he was just so _attractive_…

And Sakura was a Lady. And it was so ungracious for a Lady to refuse a man a dance, especially when he had asked so politely. She laid her fingers lightly against his palm, smiled courteously, and said "Of course, my lord."

He led her out to the dance floor, and assumed the position of the lead. A waltz sprung up, and Sakura found her self being whisked around the room.

_He's a wonderful dancer_, Sakura thought, approvingly, and smiled brightly up at him.

A dark, amused chuckle left his lips. "Lady Sakura, I've heard you aren't often seen dancing."

Sakura shook her head, the smile fixed in place to hide her annoyance. So _what_, she simply thought dancing was a pointless waste of time. "No, not often. I-"

She broke off, as he spun her out, only to whisk her back to his chest, a moment later. The couples around then sent the dark young man admiring looks - it was not often that the princess was caught dancing.

Sakura was slightly dizzy, but continued with her previous train of thought. "I prefer to fence; I'm sure you've heard about my little strategy."

This surprised another dark chuckle out of him, and Sakura felt her cheeks turning a bit redder then they should have been.

He said "You mean the way you challenge all your suitors to a match?"

Sakura smiled darkly. "And if they don't win, I don't marry them. It works rather well, don't you think?"

He smirked. "You're still not married, so yes, I'd say that it works."

He spun her out again, and Sakura watched the whole world swirl around her. It was quite nice - this bantering thing that had sprung up between them. But the song was almost over, and she _still_ didn't know his name.

When she was back against his chest, and the world had stopped spinning, she asked "I'm sorry; I still don't know your name."

He smirked, and the sense of familiarity hit Sakura harder then it had before. "You know me, lovely Princess Sakura."

"Do I?

He dipped her to floor, just as the last notes of the song chimed through the air. His mouth was at her ear, when he said "You can call me Sasuke, and husband, Princess."

Sakura's jaw clenched, as she _finally_ realized who she was dancing with. Oh, no, no, _no_, she thought; and her eyes danced, lit with an annoyed fire.

"You wish, you _asshole_," she hissed back through clenched teeth, the smile on her lips fixed and foreign.

He just smirked again, without letting her up. "You will, Princess. I can promise you that." And then he pulled her up, and disappeared into the rest of the Court.

Sakura stood there, a Princess frozen on the dance floor, while her Court swirled around her.


	4. Of Running And Not Quite Falling

Asgjkl. I am now licensed to teach swimming (WIN), and my mommy just bought me a pair of really expensive headphones (EPIC WIN). LIFE IS SO GOOD TO MEH.  
**Disclaimer**: _Hiss_.  
**Dedication**: To my Eleni. ILY forever.  
**P.S.**: Stars is a _really_ good band… So kyoot, but sad… And I love Metric. Canadian electro-pop indie FOR THE _FREAKING_ WIN.

---

Sakura had to escape the Court. She _had_ to.

Sasuke - no wonder he had been so irritatingly familiar. Why had she not recognized him?

Sakura smiled bitterly to herself. Well, her _body_ had recognized him; the revolting sense of _association_ had been enough to tell her that he was not a good being for her. She whipped around a corner, her dress flaring angrily, and headed straight to the North Tower, to be alone.

But, of course, she nearly collided with Hinata. Sakura looked at her friend, relief washing over her features. "Hinata-!" she managed, but Hinata hushed her.

"C'mon, Mi'lady, we're almost safe, and then you can vent all you want."

Sakura shut her mouth; her lips thinned into a single, angry red slash across her face. Hinata was right. There were better places to have an emotional breakdown; the long stone hallways of the castle, -dark, now-, were not one of such places.

The two girls whisked themselves into the North Tower, and Sakura slammed the door hard enough to make the wooden frame rattle.

"He- he- Hinata, he just-!" the rosette princess began, but was simply too annoyed with the entire situation to completely get the sentence out of her mouth.

"Sakura, that was _Uchiha Sasuke_. You _do_ know that, right?"

Sakura seethed. "_Yes_, he told me after we'd danced."

Hinata stared at her pointedly. "And you didn't believe me when I said you two would end up married, even when you were _engaged_. You were drooling. "

Sakura's face was a mottled shade of pink, as she choose to ignore Hinata's last statement for _both_ of their sanities. The colour drained out of her face, as did her anger. "Hinata, he said he was going to be husband."

Hinata studied her nails. Hm, they _still_ rather needed some manicuring… "Well, it _was_ what your mother wanted, correct?"

"_Yes_," Sakura muttered. "But I was so _young_, and he was so-"

Hinata fixed her friend with a glare. "Sakura, don't start. We both know you have to marry for the good of the kingdom. Love doesn't figure into that equation. You know it, and I know it."

Sakura sighed, and deflated a little. She did know that; she was a Lady and a Princess; of _course_ she knew that.

The North Tower was quiet, while the Lady Sakura tried to calm herself. She was a princess. She _had_ to be fit for polite society; it was expected of her, nothing more, and nothing less.

"Now," Hinata said; her voice was gentle. "Are you ready to go back downstairs, and show that man that you are _not_ his, anymore?"

Sakura darkly muttered something inaudible, but that Hinata was sure went something along the lines of "I was never _his_ in the first place…"

Hinata simply laughed, and led her friend out of the North Tower door. They were not surprised to find Temari coming up the stairs with Tenten; the group of them had always been much attuned to each other's emotions.

Temari said "Ino and Karin couldn't get away. What happened?"

Sakura continued to mutter darkly under her breath, and Hinata simply rolled her eyes. She kind-of grinned at the other two, and said "Sakura got a little grumpy at one of her suitors, that's all."

"Oh, so nothing new?" Tenten said, and mimicked Hinata's eye-roll.

"No, not really."

Lady Sakura looked annoyed, as her friends bantered back and forth; her being the prime subject of their ridicule. But it was all in good fun, and the four girls descended the stone staircase back to the rest of the main castle.

The orchestra had livened up; no one had noticed the absence of the Princess and three of her Ladies. Ino and Karin were _more_ then making up for the lack of royalty; they shone like sparks of star-glow on the dance floor, surrounded by Lords and Ladies, drawing people to them like moth to frozen flame.

Sakura drew a breath of the familiarly-scented air, and allowed the smiling-Princess façade to slip into place.

She was among her Court; she could not speak her mind, could not sway to the music of the orchestra alone, could not simply forget etiquette and manners, could not _be_ as she would be.

Sometimes, Sakura thought, it was really a pain being a Princess.

But the night went on, and so did the never-ending fountain of drinks. Yummy drinks, fizzy with bubbles up her nose, and sweet, so sweet - almost sinfully sweet, almost _poisonously_ sweet…

The people in the room began to distort together as Sakura's eyes grew tired; sunny-blonde-blue-eyes-not-Ino and dark-dark-dark-reminders-of-yesterday and pale-white-reckless-smirk-purple-eyes and goofy-grin-red-tattoos and dark-hair-lazy-smile and quiet-quiet-pale-eyes-not-Hinata all smeared and blurred, the vague outlines of her Court hazing into each other, like wisps of smoke.

And Sakura didn't really think, anymore.

She thought she might have been dancing with someone much too old and much too ugly, but she didn't really know; she was too tired to know.

---

She was never to know that Hinata and Karin dragged her back to the North Tower late that night. She was not to know that her friends sighed, and wondered who had tried to poison their princess, this time.

She was never to know, as they all -the others (except Ino; she was still dancing) found their way back to the Tower, as always- curled up comfortably in their various areas, and fell asleep.

---

It was still dark when Sakura opened her eyes, a splitting headache pounding through her head.

But it was not the pain that had woken her - it was the ragged breathing in her ear. It was a breath pattern she knew, and when she carefully turned her head, she saw Ino staring fearfully at her, her eyes wide.

"Ino-?"

"Your mother wants to see you," the blonde girls said, her voice very, very low, and much unlike herself.

"Wha-?"

"_Please_, Sak, she looks bad. She's right outside."

Sakura was still waking up, but that sentence woke her enough to worry her. Her mother never came up to this part of the castle - privacy was sacred, to the Queen. And the North Tower was private, for the Princess and her Ladies.

The Queen would _never_ intrude on something so sacred, not unless it was of the absolute importance.

So Lady Sakura -hair skewed, rough, and unladylike around the edges- pulled herself, and, without even _trying_ to make herself presentable, went straight to the door. She pushed it open; years of practice had made the action entirely silent, and she backed out of the North Tower.

The last thing she saw before the door closed was Ino's big blue eyes, staring fearfully back at her.

---

The Queen was standing on the landing, her back facing towards the North Tower door. The moonlight that was filtering in through the small window atop the North Tower landing trailed along the strands of Sakura's mother's white hair, and lit her with an ethereal glow. This was nothing new, to Sakura. What _was_ new, however, was simple.

The Queen was fidgeting.

Sakura was astounded; she had never seen her mother fidget before; it had always seemed too undignified for Sakura's lovely-lovely mother, to do something as _childish_ as fidget.

"Mother?" Sakura asked.

The Queen turned towards her, a silent gasp on her lips. "Sakura, my love, my darling child, you're alright. Thank god-"

Sakura tilted her head, confused. "Of course I'm fine, mother. I'm always fine."

The Queen shook her head wildly, long white hair spilling everywhere. It was then that Sakura knew something was _truly_ wrong.

Her Lady mother would never allow such an unkemptness to her, if nothing was wrong.

Sakura almost began to fidget, as well, and looked down at the ground. Had she done something wrong? No, it can't have been, her mother would have been happy that she'd danced with the Lord Uchiha…

Then she felt her mother's arms closing around her, and Sakura confusion level took a jump into twilit territory. This was unheard of.

"Oh, child… I love you, so very, very much. Your father and I, we love you, so."

"Mother?" Sakura whispered. What on _earth_ was her mother on about? She knew they both adored her; she adored them, too.

The Queen pulled away, and Sakura was dazed to see tears shining around the rims of her mother's eyes. The glow from the moonlight made it all the more unreal, and for a moment, a flicker of fear whispered through Sakura.

Either this was a poison-induced dream, or her mother really _was_ standing in the moonlight in front of her, crying.

"Sakura… I was - so wrong. It was such a - a huge mistake. We should have listened to you."

"What? Mother-!"

"Shush, child, and _listen_," the Queen said softly, and Sakura immediately quieted. "You're not safe here, anymore. You need to - you need to run. Please, my darling daughter, you must _run_. Run as far as you can, and do _not_ come back. _Please_."

Sakura stared at her, so utterly befuddled that she could only gape.

Her mother, apparently, had expected this, and held out something for Sakura to take. Sakura didn't even look at it; it was small and heavy in her palm, and eerily cold.

The Queen smiled sadly, the moonlight curling along the tear tracks on her cheeks. Sakura swallowed, a hard lump in her throat. "It is to keep you safe. Temari will understand."

And then the Queen turned, and began to slowly, regally, walk down the steps of the North Tower.

Sakura could not restrain herself. She called after her mother, in a desperate voice "Mother, wait! I don't understand! Please, I-!"

The Queen stopped, turned, and smiled at her daughter. The girl was clutching that special, special item close, and looking terrified. "You will be fine, child. Go back into the Tower, and quietly wake your friends. Pack your clothes, and all your jewels. And then _run_. And do not look back."

The Queen paused, and then said, in a softer voice. "_Never_ look back."

"But Mother-!"

The Queen's voice turned steely. "_Now_, Sakura. I command it."

Sakura gulped. Her mother never commanded her to do _anything_, ever. _Ever_. But her mother was standing before her, breaking into many, many shattered, jagged shards of _something_ - it was something that Sakura did not understand.

So she gulped again, closed her green-green eyes, and nodded. She whispered "Yes, mother."

A moment later, the barest brush of lips against her forehead told Sakura that her mother had moved. "I love you, my beautiful daughter. Never forget that," the Queen murmured.

Sakura's eyes shot open, desperation terrifying her.

Her mother was already gone.

---

Sakura flew back into the Tower. Her head was a disorder of confusion, terror, and worry, fear coursing through her blood. She slammed the door behind her; that, on its own, woke the other inhabitants of the Tower.

The Princess hadn't even realized she had been crying; she did not feel the horrified, frozen droplets on her cheeks, did not notice the salted liquid clinging to her lashes.

She simply looked at Ino, sitting by the fire, and then at the others, in the room. Tenten and Hinata were groggily waking, and Karin was still dead to the world, but Temari was awake, entirely, staring at the thing in Sakura's hand, a strange, sad understanding flitting across her face.

Sakura walked over to her, and sat down next to her. She extended her fist, and let her genius friend take the thick gold disc from her. "Temari-"

"So they're sending us away? Why?" the girl asked, and gently pressed a clasp that Sakura had not previously noticed.

"My mother - said she, she made a- a mistake. She didn't - didn't explain," Sakura whispered brokenly.

The gold disc split in two, and suddenly became a thick, golden pocket-watch. Sakura watched Temari stare down at it, the sad smile fixed on her lips. "Did she say to run?"

"_Yes_."

"Then let's not disappoint Her Majesty," Temari said quietly, and helped her friend off of the bed. She held up the golden pocket-watch. "Sakura, do you know what this is?"

"No," Sakura whispered again. She was so tired, and she didn't understand. She wanted her mother - nothing more, nothing less.

"This, my Lady, is a Whorld-Chronometer," Temari told her quietly.

Of course, the entire room was listening intently; the only other noise besides Temari's honey-gravel voice was the crackling of the fire.

Temari continued, sensing that Sakura did not want to ask the obvious question; the girl was still far too hurt at what her mother had said, but if what Temari was thinking was correct, then they did _not_ have the time to waste.

"It's only a prototype; my father built it. It - well, I _think_ it gives you the power to change worlds. I _think_."

"_What_?!" Tenten said. The silence of the room was broken by her shock. "It does _what_?!"

Temari shrugged. "I've never used it, but father said that it works; I don't doubt him. I also kind of-; well, I helped him build it. I know how it works."

"_How_?!"

Temari's eyes lit up; for once, she had a willing audience, she could _explain_ her brain processes; they would _get_ it for _once_-.

"Ladies, please remember why we're here," Karin said, deadpan. She had moved to Sakura's side, her arms currently locked around her cousin's shaking frame. "Auntie said we had to leave, right?!"

Sakura shook her head, and clung to Karin. "She said- she said I had to get my jewels packed, and clothes, and to get you guys to come, and-"

Temari calmed. "Yes, she may have-; I forgot. I'm sorry, Sakura, but-… Well, there's a photogram, on here. It's probably your mother."

Temari pressed something else on the inside of the split golden disc, on the clear glass covering, and gently put the little thing down.

A pale blue image flickered up from the discs; merging until the Queen appeared. She looked ghostly, and when her voice filled the room, it echoed eerily throughout the normally-warm stone walls.

"Hello, girls. If you're listening to this, then Sakura did as she was told, for once."

The voice stopped, as the Queen's voice took a silent gulp of air. The echo-y voice continued "This world is no longer safe for you; the kingdom is no longer ours. I do not know if I will live out this night. Danzou will not allow it - he will rule, and we stood in his way. The King and I will be dead by morning."

"I do not want the same to happen to you. You must run. Run through worlds and worlds, until you are so far away from here that you have no memory of this place. We want you to be safe, and as long as you remain in our beautiful, beautiful world, you're not very safe at all."

"I love you, children. And I trust you to protect my Sakura; keep her safe. But _run_! Don't look back! Go, now! Take what you need, and _don't stop running_."

"I am… truly sorry."

The room went silent, and the recording tapered off. The girls all stared at each other in horror (excusing Sakura; this had simply confirmed something she had not wanted to believe, in the first place.)

Hinata, too, moved to the Princesses' side. She said "It's okay, Sakura. We'll figure this out, as we go along, I guess. C'mon, get up, we need to pack. Her Majesty wouldn't say it, not if she didn't mean it."

Sakura nodded. She was shocked, and tired, and scared. There was nothing about this night that was right - everything hurt. Was it a dream? It _had_ to be a dream - Sakura pinched herself, winced, and waited for the world to change, as it always did, in dreams.

When it didn't, Sakura's heart froze in place.

This was no dream.

But her mother had been very clear - _get away from here_. It rung painfully in Sakura's ears, as she went about collecting her things; she had nothing left.

But where were they to go? What Temari was talking about was preposterous - crossing worlds like they were fields was entirely impossible! And it was ridiculous! And it was-

It was all they had to go on.

Sakura didn't even notice the flurry of movement around her as she numbly pulled on a pair of breeches, another loose, white shift, and, out of habit, tied her sword to her hip.

Every jewel she (or any one of them, for that matter) owned had been slipped into a bag, and given to Hinata for safekeeping; travel clothes -Ino regretfully packed only three lovely-lovely dresses-; Tenten had stuffed weapons upon weapons into her bags-…

And then time was up, and they were ready to go.

It was entirely surreal, to Sakura; they stood around the Tower, looking at each other, wearing brown cloaks over mute-coloured clothing.

Temari took out the Whorld-Chronometer. The dirty-blonde genius-girl hit the clasp, and it opened, again. This time, though, she hit something else on the glass that covered the thing's innards, and a low, strangely comforting humming slid through the air.

The six girls sighed in unison; it was so soothing, so quiet-

The humming grew slower, the cadence rising and falling, and a warm blue light poured out of the glass insides of the Whorld-Chronometer; an unearthly wind sprung up out of nowhere, and the blue light got warmer, and more intense, and-

And then they were gone.


	5. Of New Worlds and Fear

Asgjkl. I can't help myself. I really, really can't. It's three AM, and I'm hungry.**  
Disclaimer**: _Hiss._**  
Dedication**: To way too much research. And Eden. Because the wedding is still on! :D**  
P.S.**: "We just got dismissed." "…Ouch." -Adria to me. We got kicked out of Art.**  
P.P.S.**: Oh, look, a change in music… From Stars, to techno. Anyone else sense the shift?

---

"The King and Queen are dead, mi'lord," a quiet, servant-like voice murmured into the darkened, domed throne room,

"Good, good… And that annoying little princess? Did she drink the poison?" asked a second man; it was an arrogant, lording-over sort of voice. He was sitting on the throne, boredly.

The servant-man gulped. He had hoped his lord would not ask this question. "Er-, we're not quite - not quite sure, mi'lord. We _think_ she may have. But she's- er-; she's _gone_."

"Gone?!" the second voice hissed.

"Er, yes, sire, gone."

The air between the two men swelled, and then the arrogant voice screamed, rage fueling the tone and pitch of his voice, "You _incompetent_ fool! She was supposed to be _dead_!"

"I - I apologize, sire. P-please forgive me!"

The arrogant man outwardly calmed himself. It would not do to alienate his Court, this early on in his newly-established reign. "Bring me the youngest Uchiha son. And the alchemist; come to think of it. He'll know of a way to find that _girl_."

The servant-man nodded, frightened, and left the room in a hurry.

The arrogant man sank back onto the throne, and watched his servant leave the room, eyes slitted, expression annoyed.

That girl… As long as that girl was alive, there was no telling how long he would maintain his grip on the throne.

The people did love their Princess… But people were easily manipulated. So very, very easily manipulated; and the arrogant man knew that.

So now, the question was: what angle to use, to frame the little Princess?

---

Coughing broke out as the dust settled around the new-born world-hoppers.

"Where _are_ we?" a quiet voice asked, and in general, the six girls that had suddenly appeared had no idea _where_ they were.

Temari let out another cough; it felt like there was years of dust coating the inside of her throat. She held up the Whorld-Chronometer. "This-" she let out another cough "-this will tell us."

"You sure?" Tenten asked; she was glaring at the little golden disc. _It_ had gotten them into this horrible mess… Why ought they to trust it?

Sakura's head was still spinning. The world didn't look right -too dark, too confined, too close-; the ceiling was low and made of some type of thick stone-that-may-have-once-been-white that Sakura had never seen before.

The cool, blue light of the Whorld-Chronometer flickered to life. It lit the dark room around them, painting the room in ghostly hues, and illuminating the pale, tired-looking faces of Sakura's friends.

Temari's eyes were flicking back and forth; she was quietly absorbing all the information on the world that the Whorld-Chronometer presented to her.

The other girls sat around her, and waited. Sakura cast a look around the room while she had the chance; it was bare, empty room. It was big enough to fit, perhaps, ten people comfortably; there were cobwebs in the corners, and the floor was thick with an inch of dust.

This room had obviously not, to Sakura at the very least, been used in a very, very long time. She turned her attention back to the others, and waited.

In the dust and the dank and the darkness, they waited to be told where they were.

They waited for a long, long, long time.

When Temari finally sighed, and clicked the Chronometer closed, the Lady Ino quite seriously thought she was going to die from boredom. "So? Temari, _where are we_?"

Sakura's eyes were still adjusting to the sudden darkness after the disappearance of the cool, blue light of the Chronometer, but she, too, looked towards where Temari was sitting.

"We're somewhere called SyberSity. Their economy is based totally on something I've _never_ heard of, before. "Cybernetics" or-; something like that. We'll have to sell some jewels, I guess, to get started…"

"Why?" Ino asked; she was disappointed. She rather _liked_ their jewels; they were so sparkly and pretty and-

Temari's voice was low and gravelly when she spoke, and so, so tried. She said "Because we're starting a new life, Ino. Because you're not royal; not anymore. We don't have that luxury. Not anymore."

It was entirely quiet for a moment; Sakura could imagine the scandalized look on Ino's face.

The Princess, herself, wasn't quite sure how to deal with this development; she could either entirely freak out, or she could suck it up, and just _go_ with it.

It took Lady Sakura three seconds to choose Option Number Two.

It was all she could do, given the circumstances; and not fighting a whole new perspective on life was probably a good thing.

So she sighed, tilted her head up, and said "Let's get out of this place. We'll make up the rules as we go along, I guess."

The murmurs of assent from her friends were reassuring.

At the very least, she wouldn't be undertaking this whole new-world thing on her own.

---

They broke out into bright light; apparently, time altered just as much as each world did.

And this new world _was_ different; it was so different that Sakura's eyes, that she was almost blinded.

Light-light-light. It was _everywhere_. She'd never seen anything like it; there was a bright-bright purple dome of light above them, streaked with strange, glimmering metal beams that hid the night sky away; behind the burning glare of _light_.

Sakura wondered just _what_ kind of _being_ had _conceived_ of this world - it was so- so- so _unnatural_.

Unnatural - that was a very good word, for this world. Cables ran everywhere, on every surface available, weaving through the glimmer-metal buildings, around and around tall poles that were built right into the ground.

The buildings that raised to the touch the top of the bright-bright purple dome-that-hid-the-sky glowed green like Sakura's eyes; and golden light flooded the dark, slick-looking streets and reflected the image of the dome above them back into her eyes twice. The glass buildings glittered tauntingly at her.

The whole world turned topsy-turvy, and Sakura had no idea who she was, for a minute. The whole place was so entirely disorienting that Sakura nearly stumbled into Hinata.

Her friends were faring no better; they were all gaping at the world around them, eyes burning from the brightness of this new world - home was so much different. Home was so much _darker_…

Hinata latched herself to Sakura, rather intent on not losing the princess. They stuck out - even in dark breeches and pale shifts, the six of them did not merge well into this world of shiny metal and brilliant light.

But they would _have_ to merge; they had no choice.

The synthesis was already beginning; Sakura could feel it. And so she pulled the brown hood of her brown cloak up around her face, to hide her face, her hair, her eyes - because until they _did_ fit into the new-new world, they had _everything_ to hide.

---

Temari wrinkled her nose at the jeweler. Oh, _hell_ no, the man was _not_ going to cheap out on her… The ruby she had gently handed him was _at least_ double what he was offering.

And the girls needed _every_ penny they could get their hands on. Temari -and Tenten behind her- knew that.

Temari set her jaw. "Triple that price, and you've got yourself a deal."

The jeweler glared at her stubbornly, but relented. Rubies - ah, they made such lovely catalysts, and this was one of such good quality…

The jeweler gave in, and paid Temari her triple-price. He paid her in bills with little notes on them - Temari tried to look as if she knew exactly what she was doing, and carefully rifled through the bills; and when the price they'd agreed on matched the numbers on the bills he'd given her, she sent him a satisfied smiled, and stalked out of the shop, Tenten looking bored at her side.

She slipped the bills into her shirt - it was safer. No one would be picking _her_; not tonight.

The bright lights lit her way, and she turned a corner, and found Sakura, Hinata, Karin, and Ino waiting for her and Tenten.

The two girls assimilated themselves carefully into the group, and Temari said "We've got enough to get us a room for a few nights, I think, and some clothes to fit into this world."

Sakura nodded slowly; she was very, very disoriented in this new-new world; Temari seemed to be fitting right in, her comfort in being a girl-genius was better suited to this world of bright light and technology then back at home.

This bright-light world was so-, well, _bright_.

Night never seemed to come, and the six girls wandered until they found a glowing red sign that said 'For Rent'; the Whorld-Chronometer translated what they would need, and they suddenly had a place to sleep.

Sakura flopped down on the uncomfortable mattress, the exhaustion of too many hours of not-sleeping finally getting to her.

Hinata sat down next to her, and said; her voice tired "Get some rest, Mi'lady. We'll have a hard day tomorrow."

Sakura blinked sleepily. "What'cha mean, Hina?"

Temari supplied the answer. "We have to learn how to walk, talk, move, and fit in, and make money, all in twenty-four hours."

"…We have no chance, do we?" Karin asked; her voice was quiet.

"Basically, none," Temari replied, and rubbed her eyes. "Let's just think about this in the morning, and get some sleep while we can."

"How do we know when it's morning?"

"We _don't_. We just guess, and hope we get lucky."

---

Sakura's inner clock woke her hours later; she had slept enough, said her body, and she sat up, a little groggily.

She was entirely disoriented for a second - where _were_ they?

Then the memories from the previous night came back into her mind, and Sakura's fists clenched the dirty-white sheets she was wrapped in.

Mother and Father - probably dead; home - gone; and all they had left was each other. They were suddenly living the life of an outlaw, and they'd done nothing wrong.

Sakura's already-tight grip tightened. Danzou.

She tried not to think about the fact that his _name_ made her shudder in distaste; she knew she was better off not thinking about what could happen, back at home, now.

That wasn't her life, anymore.

She kicked her way out of the sheets, and reached for her clothes. Her hand knocked against her sheathed sword, leaning up against the wall, and Sakura's fingers instantly sought its heavy weight.

It was comforting; the cold steel of the hilt felt right against her hand. So comfortable, like home and everything she wanted mixed together.

But it wouldn't be of help; not in this world.

Sakura growled to herself, and left her sword where it was sitting. She had things to do.

She walked over to where Hinata was curled up, and gently shook her friend. Hinata's eyes shot open, and Sakura was sure that the pale-moon eyed girl had the same moment of total confusion that _she_ had had.

When Hinata's eyes focused on her face again, Sakura kind-of smiled.

"Good morning, sleepy-head," Sakura said with another kind-of grin.

Hinata let out a very unladylike groan, and hid her face in the sheets she was curled up in. Stupid Sakura, it was _far_ too early for this - this being _awake_ thing.

"What _time_ is it?" Hinata asked, her voice a little slow, her eyes still bleary and sleep-deprived.

Sakura shrugged her signature crow's shrug; one shoulder jerked up, and then flopped back down to her side. "I dunno," she said. "I think it's the middle of the day, but I'm not sure. It's grey outside."

Hinata sat up, rubbed her eyes, and cast her gaze around the room. Her friends were all curled up in various parts of the room, usually the corners, in little nests of blankets that they'd made for themselves. The light in the room was fairly muted, but even Hinata could tell that that was only because there were slatted-wood curtains across the window, and they were closed.

So Hinata decided that Sakura was probably right, and that it was probably late morning, or early afternoon.

Hinata stretched, and she, too, pulled herself out of the little bed she'd made. She made her way to Sakura, who said "Can we wake them up, _now_?!"

Hinata nodded, and the two girls proceeded to make so much noise that the other four woke quickly enough, all with groans and general sounds of annoyance.

Sakura and Hinata grinned at each other, and stayed out of their friends' combined reach. A brutal double homicide was not something _any_ of them wanted. And it would be too messy; the blood would stain the carpet.

Once all six girls were something like awake, they decided they might as well get the day going. They sat in a sort-of circle on the floor of their room, appendages stuck out at rough angles, and not about to move, despite the discomfort.

"We need clothes to fit in here," Ino said, her eyes sharp bits of fierce blue steel.

Temari nodded. "I'm going to try to figure out their economy. We need to find a way to make money, and _fast_. We don't have enough left to last us that long…"

"We need some food, too," Tenten said pointedly, and Karin nodded vigorously. The group hadn't eaten in what felt like forever.

Sakura tilted her head; she was used to playing task-distributor amongst her friends, but she didn't know enough about this world yet to honestly tell them that she knew what she was doing.

So she went with the basics. "Ino, take Tenten and Karin, and get us some clothes, and some food. Temari, uh, I guess you should-; probably you should do - well, whatever it is you need to do. Hinata-,"

Temari was fiddling with the Whorld-Chronometer. Something clicked, and Temari's eyes grew wide, round and stared down at the Chronometer, horror etching itself across her face. She cut Sakura off. "Uh, ladies-"

Tenten gently reach out, and shook Temari's shoulder. "Temari? Are you okay?"

Temari's eyes remained wide, fixed, frozen on the Chronometer's pristine glass casing. "We have a problem."

"What?" Karin asked, suddenly worried. It wasn't often that Temari's honey-gravel voice reached _that_ low decibel…

"The Chronometer - it- it _stopped_," Temari whispered, her golden-sand-coloured hair hiding her eyes.

"_What_?!" No one would ever know who voiced the shared sentiment.

"I - I don't know. It just - just _stopped_!"

"Is it broken?" asked Tenten, all scientific precision as she watched Temari cradle the heavy gold disc in her palms.

Temari shook her head, and a collective sigh of relief issued from the girls. "I don't _think_ it's broken. But- well-,"

Sakura gently prodded the genius-girl. "Temari, what?"

Temari's slanted teal eyes met Sakura's concerned green-green gaze. "Remember how I said it was a prototype?"

"_Yes_."

"It wasn't quite finished. There were still- still kinks in it, that father and I didn't manage to work out."

"So we're screwed, and stuck here?" Karin asked, again, her glasses slipping down her nose; they always seemed to do that, when she was worried or annoyed.

Temari shook her head, her hair flicking around her face wildly. "No. I _think_ I can fix it. But I need time to work on it. I'm sorry- it may take some time…"

It went quiet, as the whole group contemplated the implications of the Whorld-Chronometer breaking. It was really their only escape from this place - what would they do if they were stuck here forever?

Aften ten minutes of silence, Ino let out a sigh of annoyance, a crinkle on her nose, between her big blue eyes. "Guys, stop worrying about it. Temari will fix it, and everything will be fine! It always is, right?"

The other girls gulped, but nodded. This was true - Temari hadn't had a problem as of yet at fixing _anything_. This was probably nothing different.

Ino smiled knowingly. There, that got them in better spirits… "So, let's go shopping, yes? We need things, and I am _so_ not sticking out for _another_ minute!"

Tenten looked a little bit terrified, and gulped out "Can I stay with Temari? Or Sakura? Or _anyone_?!"

Karin giggled, and clapped her hands together. "You can stay with us, silly! C'mon, it'll be fun!"

And then Karin and Ino proceeded to drag Tenten (and a good portion of the cash they had left) out of the room. When the door closed behind them, Hinata and Sakura turned to Temari.

"It's really bad, isn't it?" Sakura said, quietly-quiet, and tired.

Temari closed her eyes. "Worse then you know. But I can fix it. I'm _sure_ I can fix it."

"Are you _positive_?" Hinata asked, unsure.

"Only fools are positive, but, yes, I'm positive. So maybe I'm a fool, but I'm sure I can fix this problem. It just doesn't make sense-;"

Sakura tuned her friend's mutterings out. With the Whorld-Chronometer broken, they had no way of leaving.

Sakura drew a deep breath of air into her lungs. Well, they were stuck with this situation; they might as well make the best of it.

"Temari," Sakura said, "You said something about figuring out their economy?"


	6. Of Odd Realizations and Encryption

I _really_ enjoy writing Ino. She's just so _fun_! And yes, I know this is short-ish compared to the other chapters, but _I don't care_. RAWR. So there. XP**  
Disclaimer**: _Hiss_.**  
Dedication**: To chap-stick, late nights, early mornings, and pretty boys.**  
P.S.**: "That's a genetic impossibility." "…_You're_ a genetic impossibility!" -Eleni to me.**  
P.P.S.** My brother just killed my craptop. _Someone is going to die_.

---

"You summoned me, _sire_?" The smooth, dark voice said, quiet, quiet. The mockery on the word 'sire' was almost indistinguishable, but it was there, like laughter in the dark.

"Ah, Lord Uchiha, yes, I _did_. You spoke to the Princess Sakura last…" the arrogant man said, as he looked at the Uchiha boy. If anyone had the motivation to find that little Princess, it was the boy in front of him.

"What does that girl have to do with anything?" the boy inquired, apathetically.

"She's gone, Lord Uchiha, her Ladies with her. Disappeared; and with her parents dead… The royal families at Court are… upset, you understand?"

"…So?"

"She's wanted for questioning. And the little Princess stole something from the alchemist - she could be anywhere, right now."

The dark-eyed boy stared at the current leader, bored. "So?" he asked, again.

"So I want you to bring her back. A Kingdom needs its Princess, you understand. And you two _are_ still very much engaged. The alchemist will give you what you need to find her."

"…Hn," the boy grunted, and the arrogant man almost smiled to himself.

Yes, people were _so_ easy to manipulate. So, so easy. "Ah, Lord Uchiha-!" the arrogant man called, as the Uchiha boy had turned and was leaving the domed throne hall. His voice echoed and echoed eerily, and the boy turned back to him, apathy infused into his features.

"What?" the boy asked.

"Do bring her back alive, won't you? And you ought to bring your most trusted friends with you - the Lady Sakura has five Ladies-In-Waiting, and they're sure to help her. I don't want you to _die_."

The Uchiha boy looked entirely bored, but the arrogant man saw the slight inclination of the boy's head as an affirmation of what he wanted.

After the boy was gone, the arrogant man chuckled to himself. Well, that ought to take care of the heirs of most of the lines - if they died, so much the better.

Ah, everything was working out just so very perfectly…

---

It was hours later that Ino burst back into the small apartment they'd taken up residence in; her eyes were sparkling, she was bouncing about, and she was dragging poor Tenten and Karin with her. There were also about twelve bags stuffed with- well, _stuff_, being pulled behind the three girls.

Sakura, Temari, and Hinata, sitting at the table, -going over some _very_ odd documents that seemed to be _exactly_ to Temari's taste-, looked up, and stared at her.

Ino smiled at them beatifically, the air around her sparkling faintly.

"You guys will _never_ guess what I found!" Ino announced, and Sakura shot a fearful glance at Tenten. Whenever Ino got in a mood like this one, it was normally better -or so the girls had learned- to just entirely let her have her way.

No one said anything, and Ino began to pout. Hinata sighed, rolled her pale-moon eyes, and decided to place the slowly-getting-annoyed blonde. "What did you find, Ino?"

A smile flitted across Ino's lips, and Hinata caught the grateful looks sent at her from all the others in the room. Sometimes, really, Ino was entirely impossible to handle. This was one of those times.

Ino opened one of the bags she was holding with a flourish, and pulled out a vest.

"Clothes. You found _clothes_, Ino. Is that it?" Sakura asked, bored. Ino's many experiences with clothing had given Sakura the right to ignore her, she thought.

Ino shot her a hurt look. "It's not _just_ clothes, Sakura! They're clothes that'll help us fit _in_!"

Tenten shook her head. "I managed to sway her away from buying really _weird_ things, I promise! And we got some food, too."

Sakura's head shot up. "Food?! _Where_?!"

Ino glared at the lot of them. "_No_!" she almost-shouted, and set her jaw. "You all have to try on the clothes, first. I need to know if they fit!"

Sakura and Temari -both engrossed in dissecting SyberSity's economy- were not amused. "Ino, we don't have _time_ for this! We need to find a way to make-!"

Hinata decided it was time to intervene. "Guys! Stop _fighting_! This is ridiculous! What would your parents say if they saw you? For goodness sake's, you _do_ need clothes, and Ino is right! We _do_ need to fit in!"

Ino stuck her tongue out at Sakura, and proceeded to smirk at them all, around the room.

Hinata saw this, rubbed her temples, and said "You're not right, either, Ino. We _do_ need to make some money, but you guys need to learn some _balance_! It has to be both! This is _so ridiculous_!"

That stopped Ino from smirking, right there, and she blinked groggily at Hinata. "Hey, Hinata, when did you grow a backbone?" she asked, honestly curious.

Sakura shuddered, and said "She's _always_ had a backbone, Ino. You've just never seen her mad… I'll never be the same… All those horrible, horrible _dresses_…"

Hinata smiled, her cheeks pinking faintly. Well, it _was_ nice to be praised, after all.

Even though her friends _were_ looking at her like she wasn't herself, Hinata just smiled.

---

Temari's fingers flew over the keyboard; somehow, Ino had brought home what Temari presumed was the basis of this whole world - a computer. It had taken her almost no time to set the thing up, and now she was flicking through slipstream after slipstream of information.

This world was _so_ much better suited to her brain then home had _ever_ been. There was just something about the way that everything was so slick -it was attuned to her very thoughts, her very emotions-; Temari smirked a little, and pulled the goggled that had come with the computer down over her eyes.

Slick and black, they fit around her face snugly, and her vision of the real world disappeared in a flash of brilliant, sky blue.

It went entirely dark for a second, and then Temari found herself deep in the recesses of the computer's brain. It was lightning-fast and almost entirely visual – hot-fire neon pinks, greens, yellows; all against stark black.

Temari had never felt more at home then right at that moment. This was _absolutely_ what she was good at –finding information, putting it together with other information, and making new information from the manufactured ideas.

It was this principle of synthesis that the Whorld-Chronometer was built on.

The muscles in Temari's face pulled down into a frown. Hm, the interconnectedness of all the computer hot-pink links seemed to point to one single thing – the SyberWorld. Temari cautiously moved her hand forward, and touched the air in front of her, where the SyberNet picture was hanging.

_**Icon**_, whispered the Net. _**Not picture – icon**_.

Temari blinked, and nearly shoved the glasses off her face. She was _not_ used to things talking when they weren't supposed to be – but apparently, the SyberNet was a sentient being.

It glimmered, a little, the consciousness; it was huge and oppressive and all encompassing. Temari's chest felt tight, and drawing breath was strangely difficult.

_**Chrome**_, it murmured again. _**I am Chrome, small one. And you are?**_

Temari understood that she didn't have to speak aloud – this was all in her head, anyways. She smirked mirthlessly to herself; so she really was going crazy.

Temari answered '_Desert Lily_'. There was no hesitation in her mental voice as she gave her childhood nickname, and she _felt_ the satisfaction that radiated off the Net's sentient, formless form.

_**Lovely**_,Chrome murmured gently, and Temari felt a blast of dry, desert air flit across her face. For a single second, nostalgia ruled Temari's mind, as she remembered her childhood in that hot, dry, sandy desert where she was born. For that single second, Temari thought of nothing but summer nights spent praying for the illusive sight of rain, and the lingering scent of campfire smoke caught on the wind.

Chrome's soft humming brought Temari back to her semblance of reality.

'_What now_? Temari asked, curiously, cautiously.

She _felt_ Chrome smile in response, again. _**Play, small one. Find your calling in the depths of this reality. You'll find you enjoy it. All will be well.**_

The overwhelming consciousness receded, and Temari found herself almost gasping for air. Chrome was a very imposing being, Temari realized. But she –Temari simply knew that Chrome was female– was a _wise_ imposing being. And there was much merit to her words.

And so, in that endless stretch of hot-neon-colour on black, Temari decided to begin.

It wasn't until hours later that Temari was pulled from the Net; Hinata had come back to their room a littler earlier then expected. She had been horrified to find that Temari was still entirely glued to the computer.

Hinata pulled the goggled off Temari's face, and watched as the genius' eyes adjested to the relative darkness of the room.

She waited until Temari had stopped blinking, to say, rather firmly "Enough. You need sleep."

Temari nodded numbly. She let Hinata lead her to her nest of blankets and pillows in one of the corners. Her head was still buzzing with SyberWorld language, customs, and feeling. She still had so much to _learn_ – Temari was infinitely glad she had such a large brain, right then. It made this whole learning _much_ easier.

As she curled up in her little bubble, Temari's last, sleepy thought was that Chrome was right. As long as they went with the flow, everything would be fine.

Temari smiled quietly in her sleep.

---

Time was strange, in this world, Sakura thought. Nothing was on an ordinary time track – most business was conducted at night. That was the only time when the usually hidden sky was almost dark, and the whole world took on the faint red tinge of the bloody neon lights that shattered the calm of the dark.

Then again, it was never really calm; people rushing-rushing-rushing through the streets, all the time, never stopping, never thinking, never - never taking the chance to just let _go_.

(a strange, tired, sort of smile, on the face of a man with star-fire black-and-gold eyes – a girl with milky-white-blind eyes and glowing purple-like-the-sky-cover hair – an androgynous-looking being, whose face was a metal mask of detailed beauty – a girl with a skirt made of dead flowers and green hair –)

Sakura didn't like it one bit.

It was too fast, and far, far too fake for Sakura's tastes. Temari seemed to like it, but then, Temari had never really fit in the world inot which they'd all been born. But despite her dislike for it, Sakura was sickly intrigued by this light-bright world made of radiance and synthesized sound.

It was almost misleading in its innocence.

Sakura stalked down the street, her crazy cousin at her side; Karin was cackling like a hyena. The world rushed around them both, a blur of colour and people and maybe-freaks (a boy with strange-ice eyes, blue hair and wires coming out of his throat – a woman dressed in white vinyl over black leather with pits for eyes – a short, tiny girl whose hair was burning rust-orange in the half-light –).

And on they went.

(a girl so thin, her knees were knobs, transparent skin, and mostly-rags clothing over an almost-translucent chest – a boy holding a bundle of paper, a tender look on his angry-angry face – another boy-man with grey hair over one eye, dressed in an expensive, black suit made from some type of shimmering fabric –)

Up through twisting alleys, over strange, smooth pavement, the two girls walked. They were on an information mission – there had to be _something_ that a group of girls could do; something that wasn't degrading, of course, as Sakura's eyes caught a flash of a girl wearing little more then fishnet, whipping around a corner.

Sakura turned her face away. Karin, too, had caught sight of the girl.

But Karin was different then Sakura. Stronger, in some ways, weaker, in others, but even Karin knew that this world was not good for her Lady.

And Sakura was so naïve, sometimes.

"C'mon," Karin murmured. "Sakura, let's go."

Karin's hand on Sakura's arm the Princess back to the real world. Sakura nodded sharply, her jaw set, and let Karin link their arms.

As they walked down another side street, the lights flickered and dimmed, and Sakura suddenly had such a wave of unprecedented worry, she nearly stumbled.

There was something not quite right, about this place.

_Why_ had she thought that it was better, to leave her sword in the room, tonight? Without it, Sakura was helpless, and she knew it. Who _cared_ about sticking out? At least with the steel of a blade on her hip, Sakura had some measure of comfort. Right at that second, Sakura swore to _never_ go _anywhere_ without her sword, again.

A shudder passed through the Princess as the two girls hurried down another side street. Both she and Karin could feel the man pairs of eyes watching them.

Sakura gulped, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

Neither girl stopped moving until they burst out onto one of the more mainstream streets. The purple, incandescent light from the sky-cover drifted down, and lit upon them both gently.

Sakura looked up, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. Her pink hair was stained fushia in the half-light. She said "I think we just got very, very lucky."

Karin, too, exhaled palpable relief, quiet, quiet. She tossed her long crimson hair –hm, their hair colours were almost matching now– over her shoulder. "Me, too. Let's get home. We need to let the others know–"

Sakura finished the sentence for her, "–that this place isn't quite as safe as we thought."


	7. Of Purple Vinyl and Messing Around

Excuse my over-use of the dash line. To me, it equals love.  
**Disclaimer**: _Hiss_.  
**Dedication**: To Les-y and Sonya. Uhm, can I say ILY TIMES A BAGILLION?!  
**P.S.** I love rainbow sprinkles and cheap romance novels and purple vinyl and Death Cab For Cutie. Any combination of these aforementioned things, and I will be in heaven. Seriously.  
**P.P.S.** I am listening to love songs and reading angst and crying. I am _not to be blame_ for this chapter! (Or the KibaIno contained within, okay? I LOVE IT. SHUT UP.)

---

The alchemist was a mousy man; that was what the arrogant man had always thought. Like a mouse – pale reddish-brown hair that fell in a mop around the alchemist's face; a small mouth, with thin lips that were almost always pressed into a line. The man's washed-out blue eyes were nervous, flicking back and forth, up and down; they never stayed focused on one thing for then a few minutes.

Lord Uchiha Sasuke stared at him, apathy written on the boy's face.

And the arrogant man just smiled.

"–you must understand, there is no guarantee that this will work. My daughter–" Here, the alchemist paused, and winced; he'd lost a wife, and three children, now, to his life's work.

"My daughter helped me build the prototype. This is – this is only built off the blue-prints. I modified it, a little…" He paused a little again, and stared Sasuke hard in the face.

"Lord Uchiha, you _do_ know what you're getting into, correct? You may never return."

Sasuke stared back at him. Yes, he knew – of course he knew. Uchiha Sasuke was a very methodical, very careful being. The dark-haired boy bowed his head in acknowledgement of the alchemists' words, and softly murmured a "Hn."

The alchemist let out a very tired sigh, and the arrogant man shot him a dark look of general doom. The boy had _leave_.

The arrogant man continued to glare, shifting his gaze to Sasuke, and the temperature of the room dropped several degrees.

The alchemist clenched his jaw. He did not want this – did not want it for the boy in front of him, marked to die; did not want this for his daughter, already gone; did not want this for the _kingdom_. But he had no choice.

And so he carefully slid his hand into his tunic pocket, and withdrew a thick, silver-coloured disk. Different, so different, from the prototype, and yet, so very much the same.

His fingers shook he proffered it to Lord Uchiha.

The boy took the silver disc from the alchemist with careful fingers, a strange curiosity lingering about his face.

"How odd…" Lord Uchiha murmured.

The alchemist's voice did not tremble as he said "Take care, Lord Uchiha. This Whorld-Chronometer is… different. Fickle, perhaps. It has a rather – special personality."

"Personality?"

"It will track the time-waves that the prototype gives off, but… it may be cruel, if only to spite you. It has a nasty personality."

"Why?" Sasuke asked. He had found the clasp that opened the Chronometer, and he was staring calmly at the angry violet light the thing gave off.

The alchemist pressed his lips together. This hit far too close to home, for the alchemist to want to think about. "Because I am not my daughter, and I do not have her talent," the alchemist said quietly. "With your leave, _sire_."

Without waiting for acknowledgement, the alchemist spun, and stalked out of the room.

The arrogant man smiled to himself, in the darkened, domed throne room. Now, the nobles closest to the throne would be heirless. There would be far fewer dissidents against his rule, now, as the peasants would only rally around one of the younger nobles. With those same, younger nobles gone…

All the better.

---

Ino's world was really very… _sparkly_, right at that moment. Everything was fitting into place quite nicely, and there were pretty clothes, and she got to _dress her friends up_. It was _so exciting_!

She stood in their drab little room, next to the bed. Said bed was laden with clothes; odd clothes, but lovely-lovely in their own right. Ino let her fingers drift to her favourite dress, the one she had worn the night they had… left. There was no other word for it.

The blue silk of the dress shimmered under the sick fluorescent lights. It was beautiful.

A sigh of regret escaped Ino's lips. It was too bad – this world had strange clothes; nothing like the pretty-pretty dresses from home. This world was all strange-soft fabrics, strange-bright colours, and strange-strange customs.

Ino kind of liked it.

She stood there, going through the clothes she had bought the previous day, humming to herself softly. As she did, Ino quietly wondered how they were going to survive this world. It was a cold world – Ino had seen no proof that this was a welcoming world.

But it was a new world.

Ino sighed. Temari was still curled up, asleep, in her little corner, and Hinata had left to get some food, Ino guessed. She had no idea where Lady Sakura or Karin was at, and Tenten wasn't even on her radar.

Part of Ino's soul convulsed and died. They weren't ever wearing the pretty-strange clothes she had bought for them! It was horrible! It was utterly _bizarre_!

"Blasphemy…" Ino muttered darkly to herself, her demeanor cranky. She glared at the clothes on the bed. This was ridiculous, she wasn't getting anywhere.

Ino set down the dress she was holding, the rustle of thick silk curling in her ears.

Fine. If she couldn't dress the others up, she might as well have fun playing dress-up on her own. She reached for the single, oddly baggy pair of breeches (the shop-owner had called them camo pants – what on _earth_ was _camo_?), and blinked at them for a few seconds. The mottled green-brown-beige colour scheme was subtle. It was very opposite of her personality.

Ino wasn't sure _what_ to think of it.

She stared at it for another moment, before Ino set her jaw. They were just _clothes_.

She shimmied out of the of the worn-in pair of breeches she was wearing, and tossed them onto the startings of a pile of dirty laundry; so far it only consisted of Temari's shirt, and Ino's own breeches.

Ino pursed her lips.

She hated doing laundry. But if it was a toss-up between doing laundry, and wearing dirty clothes, Ino had very little doubt about what she'd choose.

Dirty clothes were icky.

So Ino slipped the baggy, awkwardly comfortable breeches on, and let them hang on her hips. '_Hm,_, she murmured to herself. '_Not so bad_.'

She stripped off the shift she'd been wearing, and tossed it, too, among the pile of the other dirty clothes.

There was purple… _something_ staring at her from the bed.

And it was so _pretty_.

It was sparkly and bright purple, and made of some thick, almost-like-leather fabric. And it was purple. _Purple_!

Without further ado, Ino tugged the purple vinyl tube top on – glee crinkling her face, when she realized that it showed off her stomach. She grabbed the khaki-green jacket that looked like an army uniform jacket -patched holes and all- and threw it on. It settled comfortably around her shoulders, and Ino raised her eyes to the mirror hanging on the wall.

She stared at herself, that mirror-on-the-wall reflecting a very odd-odd image back at her – Ino wasn't sure she knew the girl in dark pants and a bright purple shirt, with blue eyes and long-long blonde hair that fell around her face in stark, almost-white sheets.

Ino stared at herself for a long, long time.

And then she shook her head furiously, her loose hair whipping around her face. No, that Ino wasn't the Ino that she had known her whole life; they looked nothing alike, thought nothing alike – and the old Ino didn't have a strange tinge of fear in her eyes. The new Ino did, and the blonde girl hated herself only a little.

Her hair was all wrong. It was too… flowy. Too free.

Ino went straight to Temari's bag. The girl always had hair ties in there, there _had_ to be at least one extra _somewhere_…

She finds it, orange and sitting at the bottom of the bag, all innocent-looking. Ino smiled to herself, and pulled it out. She stretched, and when it snapped against her fingers, she winced a little.

It was kind of painful.

But not bad-painful. She walked back to the mirror, and stared at herself for another minute. The wheat-blonde hair shimmered, a little, when she moved. Ino wound her hair up into a high ponytail without thinking much more about it.

It would be easier this way; it was mostly out of her face. Her bangs – well, they never obeyed when she wanted them to. But they could hang in her face, it was fine.

Ino looked over at Temari. The girl was still out like fire in the rain, and she didn't look like she was going to be waking anytime soon.

So Ino decided there was only one thing to do.

And _that_ was to go out, and test these new strange-strange clothes on the general population. Ino kind-of smiled as she left the room, her fingers lingering on the switch which controlled the light.

The light flickered off, and she was gone.

---

Blending in was easy – almost too easy. Ino smiled to herself. This was easy, and it felt- well, not right, but not _bad_.

She blurred into the rush of people like she'd been born there (because she was Ino, and if there is one thing that Ino has mastered, it's the art of adaptation), and simply wandered, her hands fisted in the pockets of the army jacket she was wearing.

She raised her face, and let the artificial touch her cheeks. It wasn't the warm, inviting light that came from the sun – the light was neon, alien, and cold. Ino was a sun-child, with blue eyes and blonde hair and–

–And Ino didn't want to admit that she missed the sun.

She sighed, and kept staring at the purple-bright skylight. There was something so _obnoxious_ and _pretentious_ about it, Ino almost felt a little _sick_ inside.

She didn't just miss the sun. She missed _home_.

She missed the feeling of being cared for. She missed dancing until her feet hurt and her eyes were drunk on candlelight and beautiful people. She missed teasing the stuffy old nobles and wearing pretty-pretty dresses. She missed flirting with the stable boys and the silent giggling late at night with the maids and – and god, she missed _everything_.

But Ino was not a child.

And this was just something else she'd have to learn to accept. It was… _irritating_.

Ino wasn't ready to grow up. Not yet. But now she had no choice. Because dead princesses were never very pretty, and broken promises were even _worse_ – and Ino would never-never forget the Queen's tired-sad eyes–

Ino doesn't even realize that she had run into someone until they were both on the ground, whoever it was groaning like the there was no tomorrow, their things spread around them both.

No one even stopped to help, and Ino's lips took on a bitter, cruel twist to them. She got up, on her knees, and helped the boy (he _looked_ like a boy, with messy brown hair and pretty brown eyes and weird red tattoos and-and-and-) up.

He stood almost a half-head higher then her, and part of Ino mentally cheered. She didn't like her men short. And this one was _really_ pretty…

But then she remembered about dead princesses, and Queens with soulless eyes and broken promises, and Ino realizes that she _can't_.

Not now.

Not anymore.

She carefully helped him up. She ignored the flash of heat that hit her somewhere near her stomach when he kind-of grinned. "Hey," he says. But when his voice hit her ears, Ino lost all sense of reason. She needed something that would let her _let go_.

And, apparently, he was it. Because Ino never really could help herself, and this isn't just a game anymore, she thinks.

Her voice was only a little bit low when she said "Hi," in a return, a dangerous, sultry smile on her lips.

"Thanks," he said. "You okay?"

She nodded at him. She didn't even know his name, and she didn't particularly care. "Yup," she chirped. "I'm fine. Want some help with that?"

She was indicating the boxes he had been carrying – they were still strewn about all over the shimmery sidewalk. He grinned outright at her, a fang protruding over his lip (Ino figured it could be way worse – and the fangs were actually kind of hot). "I'd love some. Name's Kiba."

Ino smiled big for the whole world, and graced him with her name (because no matter what she looked like, inside she would still be a Lady and that was never-never going to change). "I'm Ino."

"Cool," he said. The tattoos on his cheeks pulled upwards when he grinned like that. Ino was momentarily stunned by his over-all _prettiness_. Not many boys could pull off that rugged prettiness look.

Ino decided that she mostly liked him. But even as they gathered up his things together, part of Ino was still wary. Well, at the very least, if something was not-so-cool about this situation, she could always just beat him over the head with whatever blunt object was closest.

Tenten's teachings had to be good for _something_, right?

And Ino had never really had good sense when it came to boys. Her mother had always said that– But it always came back to dead princesses with soulless and broken promises made by Queens (or was it the other way around?).

But Ino had never been good at writing happy endings.

They walked off together, the purple sky-cover glowing dully, and Ino didn't realize that she was falling in love.


	8. Of Losing Oneself and Super Computers

Blah, this chapter is being such a bitch… It is _not_ coming out how I want it to come out! And it's so _short_… KILL ME NOW, PLEASE.  
**Disclaimer**: _Hiss_.  
**Dedication**: To Eden and Adria. Uhm, uhm, ILY.  
**P.S.** "You can suck it." -My mom to Eleni. Funniest moment _ever_.  
**P.P.S.** "My attention span is- OH, A LIGHTBULB!" –Me to Eleni. No, I am not kidding.

---

Sasuke looked down at the silver Chronometer in his hand. It glimmered dully in the dim light of the evening, looking unimportant and bizzarely innocent.

He scoffed at it. It could not have the power it was said to have - how could anything have the power to traverse time and space?

But then, Sasuke understood that the worst it could do was nothing. That arrogant man could be playing a trick; a trick that would end in nothing.

At worst, nothing. At best...

Sasuke realized that at best, he would be able to escape this place. He would be able to bring that _princess_ back -he paused, if only to sneer at the thought of her-, and he would be able to rule the country _properly_.

Sasuke was intelligent. He was calm, cold, and collected; in fact, he was very much known for being untouchable. And he knew he would not be able to manage this all, alone. There was too much left to chance, and not even he alone could take on the princess, should she have her Ladies with her.

It was foolish to think that he was invincible. Sasuke needed allies; he could not find the princess on his own.

So, with poison dripping from his lips and lies curling in his throat, Uchiha Sasuke set his jaw, and went to find his oldest friends.

It didn't take him long to find them, either.

Sasuke muttered to himself that his friends were very habitual creatures; in one of the open-air courtyards, a lanky blond-haired man –Lord Uzumaki; the dobe– and a just-as-lanky dark haired man –Lord Hyuuga; asshole– were in the midst of a furious swordfight. The youngest Lord Hozuki was sitting on the sidelines, grinning a grin full of pointed teeth.

The steel flashing in the sunlight brought death to Sasuke's mind, and he had to wonder just what fate awaited the little princess when she finally returned home.

---

Sakura glanced around the room as she and Karin burst through the door. It hadn't taken them long to get back to their humble abode, but it _had_ taken long enough for everyone but Temari to disappear.

"Has anyone seen... anyone?" she muttered to Karin under her breath, and the other red-headed girl shook her head.

Sakura's right hand clamped around the hilt of her sword. The wave of relief that swept over her as she did was almost over-whelming; her palms were a little clammy as her fingers curled around the not-so-well-worn steel, and she silently renewed her vow.

She was _never_ going _anywhere_ without this sword again. It was just too dangerous.

Karin quietly shut the door behind the Princess. Sakura had always been a little bit over the top about her swords, this one in particular. This sword held Sakura's one last link to her parents, and Karin understood that.

Having living kin was a funny thing, no matter what world one was in, it appeared.

So while Sakura clutched the deadly-sharp, sheathed sword to her chest as a mother might to a new-born child, Karin carefully went to wake Temari.

The dirty-blonde genius girl was still curled up in her nest of blankets and pillows. Karin smiled, a little, to herself, at how innocent the girl looked - almost like they weren't on the run.

Karin knelt down, and gently shook the other girl awake. "Hey, Temari... Wake up, silly."

Temari groaned, and rolled over. She was _not_ ready to wake up yet. "No-o-o… lemme _sleep_… Fi'e mo' minu'es, kay…?"

Karin rolled her eyes, pushed her glasses up her nose, and _shook_ the still-mostly-asleep Temari.

"C'mon, Temari, get up! You've slept longer then _any_ of us, and I am going to be seriously grumpy if this keeps up, okay?! And we – we _need_ you!" the red-headed girl whisper-screamed.

Temari rolled over, and groaned again. She glared up at Karin through sleep-bleary eyes. "You're a bad friend, did you know that?"

Karin rolled her red-red eyes, and crossed her arms. "Yes, I know. I am giving you three seconds to get out of that bed. Then I'm going to dump a cup of water over your head, yes?"

Temari just moaned, and pulled herself away from the comfortable nest of blankets where she had been stationed for the past several hours. The blinked slowly, and let her brain begin the trying process of taking stock of everything around her.

One sleek, black computer, on the small table in the corner; several nests of blankets; pillows strewn about the room; Sakura, holding her sword, standing next to the bed, Karin, standing above her, a doom-glare on her face...

Temari's brain stopped processing for a moment. There was something seriously wrong with that picture – why were so many people missing?

"Where _is_ everyone?" she asked groggily. The dim light in the room was not helping; she just wanted to go back to sleep.

Karin shook her head, her glasses slipping down her nose as she did so. "We have no idea. That's why we came back – we need to get _out_ of here. Something about this place is just-!"

Sakura interrupted as she came over, her sword hanging loosely from her side. "It's weird, Temari. Just weird. And there are things that don't make sense. I want to _leave_."

Temari sighed, and rubbed her temples. Her brain wasn't at full processing capacity yet; and arguing a point normally took her entire thinking process. "Look, Sakura, we can't just _leave_ – the Chronometer still isn't working right, and I'm … I'm kind of worried about it, you know?"

Sakura tilted her head at Karin, pink strands of hair flitting across her field of vision. In the half-light of the room, the shadows danced across her cousin's tired face. It wasn't something Sakura wanted – Karin looked as exhausted as she felt.

Lady Sakura sighed, and let her body sink to the ground, next to Temari. She pulled Karin down with her, until the three girls were sitting in a pile of limbs.

Sakura sighed again, and curled her body into the floor. "Tomorrow. We have to leave tomorrow."

Temari watched her friends flicker in that place between awake and dreaming, and she wondered quickly if Sakura really understood just how damaged the Chronometer was – Temari had a feeling she didn't.

As Sakura and Karin both lay there, curled on the concrete floor, Temari pulled herself away from them, her brain working through the Chronometer's problem as she moved. It wasn't synchronizing with this world – that was something Temari had not been prepared for.

It was something she had not _foreseen_.

And Temari silently cursed herself. She was supposed to be able to _know_ things like this; how could this have happened?

Temari's fingers closed around the Chronometer; it was exactly where she'd left it, sitting in the soft-suede pocket of her bag. It clicked open, and the cool blue light filled the room.

Temari distinctly heard Sakura mumble " –Mother I…!"

The girl wasn't going to be sleeping well for a very long time. No wonder Sakura hadn't wanted to sleep. Who would _want_ to sleep, with memories of a probable murder on their minds?

Temari headed to the computer.

It drew her – it could fix this. There had to be some way. There had to be a reason they were dropped in this world of technological advancement. There _had_ to be.

Because if there wasn't, Temari had a feeling that the others were going to waste away; they did not quite- Temari did not even know the word. 'Fit', perhaps, was best. They did not quite fit.

Temari hated only that this world was to her liking; if it hadn't been, she would have gone in a minute.

But the Chronometer – it could not work if it was not whole.

Temari's reached for the goggles that were sitting on the top of the slick-slick computer. Chrome. If Chrome, a master computer, could not fix it… Temari grimaced.

She didn't want to think about that possibility.

Without any hint of her previous hesitation, Temari shoved the goggles onto her head, and pulled them down over her eyes. The change from reality to SyberWorld was still disconcerting, but it was faster than before; and as soon as Temari hit the 'Net, she _screamed_.

And Chrome answered that scream at the speed of light.

_**Desert**__**Lily**_, the super-computer murmured, a gentle breathe of hot air washing over Temari's face, and ruffling her hair.

'_I need your help. This is seriously important_.'

The alien consciousness gave something that was akin to a chuckle. _**Child, what is so important that you disturb us at this time of night?**_

Temari did not question the computer's use of the plural in reference to itself. Chrome was many things, and Temari understood that. '_I need you to fix something._'

Chrome's voice was like thunder in Temari's head. _**Show us, child of the desert. We will see what we may do**_.

Temari blindly reached for the Chronometer, her fingers fumbling in reality. The goggles over her eyes turned to reality for a half-second, and allowed Temari the needed time to grab it.

Chrome moved closer to this tiny being that tasted of another time. The child had caught their attention, in so many ways, and Chrome as a whole was intrigued. The girl was holding a thick disc, and Chrome reached through the girl, to touch the ancient consciousness.

Temari felt _weird_. She could feel Chrome running through her body (just what _was_ the super computer?), could feel the Chronometer reacting to Chrome's influence in her hand.

And Chrome's thought processes were so odd _**–up – down – yesterday – smile – blue hair – wires – children – laughter – someone's lost best friend – a broken apology – fireflies in a jar–**_.

This was all so alien to Temari, and yet so very familiar. It was strange, to be sure, but at the same time, it felt natural to open her mind and her blood to the computer's foreign influence.

Chrome sang through Temari's veins, saturating the dirty-blonde-haired girl's fingers-tips with pin-pricks of light-bright-fast intelligence, centering on her contact with the Chronometer.

All while quiet for a moment, and Temari wondered exactly what Chrome was discovering about the Chronometer, and, in turn, what the Chronometer understood of the super computer's strange personality.

Because, as far as Temari knew, the Chronometer did not have the capacity to handle personality, the way Chrome did. The Chronometer was only a prototype – unfinished, and mostly broken.

It had been a last-ditch effort to keep a princess alive. It was a last-ditch effort that had worked, but, either way; it had still been the last choice.

Temari felt Chrome pulling away from the Chronometer, and slinking back to its far-away home. Chrome moved slowly, sluggish, tired with the speed of ordinary living.

_**What a strange being you bring to us, Desert Lily. This little one is not adjusting well.**_

Temari knew that it wasn't a question. '_No… what's wrong with it?_'

The great consciousness murmured a far-away laugh. _**The little one is not synchronizing to the fabric of this universe. You are very far away from home, we think, correct?**_

Temari winced. '_Yes_.'

Chrome paused for the shortest breath of a second; it seemed to be contemplating its next words very carefully.

_**This small one intrigues us, and we are amused**__** by your memories. We have left a small part of ourselves with this small one, and you, child, for when you will leave.**_

Temari's brain registered only shock, and the super-computer's presence vanished before she could get a single mental word out.

What had Chrome _done_?!


	9. Of Rain and Silver Bullets

I apologize for the fail that was last chapter, and for how long it took to get this out. And then it turned into a present. LOVE ME. It's kinda long?  
**Disclaimer**: Not mine.  
**Dedication**: To SONYA. Happy birthday, love! (and I know, I fail. =])  
**P.S.** Harry Potter parties are FTW. kthnxbai.  
**P.P.S.** "Don't want you money – your shirt's ugly." –Lady Gaga  
**P.P.P.S.** Eff this, from now on, these will be notes.  
**Notes:** HAPPY HOLIDAYS, ALL!

---

"Hey, look, it's the bastard!"

Laughter followed this statement, and then Naruto -stupid dobe- yelped as he only barely managed to block a particularly vicious jab of Neji's.

Sasuke smirked, and jerked his head in acknowledgement of the Hyuuga lord. The man was an asshole, as far as Lord Uchiha was concerned, but, at the very least, he knew how to shut Naruto up.

Lord Hozuki snorted. "Greetings, oh great and fearless leader. What have you come to see us lowly peasants about, this time?"

Sasuke didn't even acknowledge Suigetsu. There were times –most notably; _right now_–, that it was better to ignore the mostly-laid-back, white-haired man.

So instead, Sasuke watched, quiet, as Neji and Naruto thoroughly beat each other into the ground.

Their fighting styles were reflective of their personalities, to say the least, Sasuke, thought.

Naruto was always Naruto – brute strength, and a lack of strategic planning. There was also that infallible stubbornness that seemed to always make him win. Neji was _vicious_. He made few movements that were unnecessary, spoke less frequently then Sasuke himself did; he was the subtle poison in the background to Naruto's looming threat.

"Stop."

The clang of metal-on-metal filled the air once again, and Sasuke watched as yet another spar ended in a draw. The other three Lords turned, and looked at the Lord Uchiha. It was utterly silent in the practice yard.

"We have someplace to be."

---

Tenten crashed her way through the linoleum door of the shooting range. Of course she'd be here – the man made of shadows who'd sold her the arm-guard knives, he'd told her about a place to learn how to use the strange metal objects that he'd called "guns".

She'd been doubtful – it didn't _look_ very dangerous. But he'd convinced her she'd shot a bit of metal called a bullet straight through the blade of the knife Tenten had been holding.

Tenten knew that this was a whole new game, and that protecting her idiotic princess was going to be a _much_ more arduous task then before.

After all, if Sakura had refused to stay within the boundaries set for her in a world that Tenten _knew_, there was _no telling_ what the Lady would do, given freedom in a whole new place.

And so Tenten was preparing for anything.

She stalked straight up to the counter, and slammed her fists down on the counter-top. The being –a bored-looking boy with blue skin and a shock of white hair– sat straight up, and stared at her, terror in his eyes.

"Teach me," Tenten said; her voice was darkly dangerous, and the boy in front of her gulped. Tenten had a feeling he'd never met someone like her before – most people didn't have the scars she did. Most people hadn't watched their home burn to the ground around them, taking with it the lives of their families.

Most people weren't like Tenten.

They stared at each other for a frightening few seconds, and Tenten idly wondered if he was _actually_ going to deny her what she wanted. She turned up the heat in her glare, and watched in satisfaction as he quaked in his pretty Little-Boy-Blue boots.

He looked undecided for far too long, but he did eventually point her through a door.

Tenten gave him a sharp nod. She sauntered to the door he had indicated, and slipped through it. She smiled when she heard the distinct exhalation of breath from behind her. So she hadn't lost her touch for intimidation, after all. Good.

Tenten's bangs fell across her face –damn things–, and she looked up through her lashes at the man standing in the room. He was lanky, and… wearing the greenest clothes Tenten had ever seen. He had round eyes that glittered, and orange arm and leg warmers. He also had that horrible, horrible bowl-cut that they had forced all the pages at home to have.

They stared at each other for a moment or two.

Tenten crossed her arms over her chest, and shot him her most terrifying look. "_Teach_ me. I want to _learn_," she said, enforcing the words with every ounce of royalty she possessed. Lady, Lady, she was a _Lady_; she would _not_ forget her duty to herself.

He stared at her for another second, before a huge grin split his face. "But of course, my lovely flower! There is nothing as incredible as seeing a youthful lady like you, ready to learn!"

Tenten stared at him, internally flabbergasted. Not even the most flamboyant of her suitors at home had spoken in such a manner. She tilted her head at him. Perhaps there was something wrong with his brain?

He continued to grin at her, and he took a bow. "I am Lee, and I will be your youthful instructor for today. If you will just come this way, Ms–?"

Tenten's body tightened like a coiled spring, and she wondered if she ought to tell him her real name. Ino probably had told someone – but then, that was _Ino_, and Tenten had always been the cautious one. But then again, what harm could come of it? So she let her instincts take over.

"Call me Tenten," she said as she pushed her hair out of her eyes.

He grinned brightly at her, and led her towards a rack of what Tenten realized were those lovely _guns_. "This, my youthful flower, is where we begin."

---

Ino curiously peeked around the corner of the building, into the strange, empty box that Kiba had called a 'garage'. Her long, wheat-blonde pony-tail danced around her body, and she curved herself into the safety that the garage afforded. A large door slid shut behind her, and the neon-purple light from the sky-cover vanished fast as the streaky imprint appeared on the back of her eyelids. Damn fluorescents.

In the gloom, Ino could see Kiba head straight towards a wall, and he lingered there, for a moment.

Then, in a blast of white light, the whole room ignited, and Ino was left standing, speechless, staring around at the _things_ in the room.

Kiba looked satisfied, a smug grin flitting across his face, as he rumpled his hair. He asked quietly "Do ya like it, doll?"

Part of Ino swooned – the girlish part that Ino knew was still (and always would be) stuck in being a pretty Lady; a lovely Lady who had all the boys at her fingertips.

But the Other Part of Ino incinerated that urge. It tasted like saline dripping down her cheekbone – bitter, so bitter. It tasted like cold rain, a wake-up call, and seventeen years of misery. She tilted her face up, and stared at his face.

She would be leaving soon; she knew it like she knew the back of her hand.

He deserved better.

But Ino was a selfish Lady, and she thought _it won't hurt to be happy for a little while, will it_?

And so she sent him her most brilliant smile, shining, blinding, _ladylike_. Ino could feel the mask slipping on (and _it won't hurt to be happy for a little while, right_) "It's – I – _wow_, this is _so cool_…"

He seemed half-proud of himself, when he said "They're the best spark-bikes on the market. Do ya ride?"

Ino shook her head in wide-eyed wonder. This was – new. Different. "No – I, I've never seen something like… like this. It's so–" she broke off, and simply stared at him.

Kiba chuckled a little to himself, at the look on her pretty face. She looked entirely overwhelmed and very young, and yet, at the same time, she looked like she'd seen far more then her fair share of life.

"Then I think'ya should come for a ride, babe." His grin was feral, and Ino almost felt herself blushing.

"I just need to – contact my sister. Do you have something that I could use?"

He nodded towards a small, shiny silver box that was attached to the wall, and chuckled strangely. "You've never used a voicepod before, have ya? Just say the name of the person ya want to talk to into it. It'll connect ya, as long as they're connected to Chrome's network. Pretty useful, huh?"

Ino smiled like the sun, her blue eyes turning metallic, and she nodded. She walked towards the odd box, _very_ unsure of it. This was like nothing she had ever experienced… but she _needed_ to talk to one of the others, to let them know that she hadn't gone off and _died_ somewhere, or something.

And knowing Sakura the way Ino did, the Princess would probably be in the midst of theatrics (Ino quietly ignored the fact that _she_ was usually the one to pull out the hysterias; it was much easier to simply blame Sakura).

Ino stood in front of the voicepod, and took a deep breath.

"Sabaku no Temari, please."

---

The empty confines of Temari's mind rang with knowledge. It was _everywhere_ – this was how this worked, this was _why_ it worked; it crackled through Temari's flesh, neon lightning racing along her bones, and setting all her senses on electrical fire.

Fitting, then, that the SyberNet was suddenly Temari's greatest ally.

Temari pulled her goggles down over her eyes, and watched the world spin and merge into the blank emptiness of the SyberSpace.

The air space around her seemed to _hum_; light and life pulsed around her, running through the dark walls, and up and down the shafts of neon colour that were the pillars of the world. It was different then before – Temari hadn't felt this absolute assurance that the SyberWorld was alive.

Not until _now_.

It was a chip, perhaps, or something – something to change the configuration of the wiring that Temari had had since birth. Perhaps something had changed part of the last vestiges of humanity that Temari had had.

This loss of nature made part of Temari despair.

She looked up, and watched the SyberNet glitter tantalizingly in the vague distance. She needed to lose herself – she needed it _now_.

A graceful line of information filtered through Temari's skull, and suddenly, the 'Net was within Temari's reach, slipstreams of information racing by her fingertips at light-speed.

Little bites of information reached her by the thousands. – _they say there's a disturbance in – looking for a lost child – sugar, three cups of MoonWeed tree sap – pink hair, green eyes – pirate ship on an open sea – a girl dancing in the dark –_

Temari pulled out of SyberSpace faster then she had ever done anything in her life, a gasp of something like horror on her lips. There was only one person Temari had ever met in her life with that combination; Lady Sakura, always Lady Sakura.

Of course, this world could have another with that odd combination; nothing was sacred, in this world, and genetic mutations were the fastest growing new fad.

It was a wake-up call. The whole group of girls had just started to settle; and mayhap they would have even stayed here. But then something like _this_ had to happen. Temari knew herself; better then anyone knew anyone, Temari knew Temari.

And it was _not_ on her agenda to get the Lady Sakura killed. That would be counter-productive, to having removed her to a safe world.

Temari did not like things that were counter productive. It was such a waste of energy.

Just then, a ringing began in Temari's mind. It was insistent, and Temari did not understand where it was coming from – she was no longer connected to the SyberWorld.

The ringing continued, louder and louder, and persisted until Temari slid to the floor, her knees crumpling beneath her, and was clutching her head to stop the vibrations.

_**You ought to answer it, child. It is rude to ignore a call.**_

That was Chrome's voice. Temari's head whipped up, and sought the wisps of sound past the ringing in her mind.

Nothing, there was nothing other then the migraine-inducing gong-sound in her head.

Temari winced, and mentally _forced_ the sound away. A call? What on earth was Chrome talking abou–?

"_Uh… hi_?"

For a very terrifying second, Temari thought she was losing her mind. That was Ino, Ino's voice, and Chrome was gone and _what in Hell's name was __**this**_?!

'_I-Ino_?'

"_Temari! It is you! Thank god, I thought you might not be online – Kiba said something about being connected to_–"

Temari quickly tuned Ino out. The girl would jabber for five minutes before she would say anything of actual value – that was simply Ino. But it was what she _had_ said – being connected to the network.

Temari had not been connected. She shook her head, like a dog ridding itself of water, and decided to ponder it later. Ino had never been one for technology, so it must be important.

Ino was still jabbering, and Temari interrupted her. '–_Ino. Get back here. _Now._ We may have a problem. We're leaving. I think… I don't know. Sakura. It's about Sakura. Just get back here. I don't care what you're doing. I'll tell you in person when you get your skinny butt back here._"

That statement shut the other girl up; and Temari got a very sudden, very amusing mental image of Ino with her mouth gaping open.

Ino was silent for a long, unbroken moment. "_……… Fine._"

'_Good,_' Temari thought back.

Then the connection snapped off, and Temari was left alone inside her head, her mind reeling.

Chrome had – had changed her wiring. So Temari had been right.

Temari understood that she was as much part of the network as Chrome was, now. She was as much a computer as Chrome.

A fierce sort of resignation (resignation and _rage_ – she did not enjoy being trifled with) filled Temari to the brim. If she was changed, then the Chronometer – it would be changed, too.

Temari pulled herself up off the floor, and wobbled towards the desk. The Chronometer sat there, looking utterly innocent, silent, and genuinely ordinary.

As soon as Temari's fingers closed around the thick golden disc, several things happened at once. Temari's eyes closed sharply, and the whole world screamed joy. Not-colours danced behind Temari's closed lids, and there were bursts of plasma-sound everywhere.

And the _information_. It flowed through her like water rushing off a cliff, the swell and crest of a wave during a tsunami. The sheer amount nearly threw her off-balance.

The Chronometer tumbled out of Temari's hands, and clattered to the floor. At the loss of contact, Temari's mind returned to being a silent, calm pool of solidarity. She sighed, and let her body sink to the ground, once again. The Chronometer was within arm's reach, and Temari let her body become boneless.

She melted into the floor, and stayed like that for a long, long time. Outside the grimy window, it began to rain.


	10. Of Subtle Venom and Phreaking Out

**Disclaimer**: _BOO__HISS_.  
**Dedication**: To Sonya and Les, for being the _sexy betches_ that you are. ;D  
**Notes1**: ALL OF YOU READING THIS; GO READ OUR COLLABFIC OF EPIC WIN. It's reachable through my profile. Please. I'll love you.  
**Notes2**: the reason I am concentrating so thoroughly on Temari and Ino: because this world affects the two of them the worst. Also because I love KibaIno so much it's probably unhealthy.  
**Notes3**: This was fail. I apologize for taking so long.

---

The Chronometer whirred, a metallic clicking filling the ears of the four men who heard it. Dressed in travel cloaks, and easily-ignored clothing, the four boys only managed to look at each other for a second. Then they were pulled into a vortex of cold wind and utter blackness.

For a single, terrifying second, Sasuke thought he had, perhaps, died.

But the dark travelling cloaks whispered movement as the dust settled around the group.

Sasuke stood slowly – it took him what seemed like forever to reach his full height. He looked around, his eyes slowly taking in the details of this new place. Suigetsu and Naruto –idiots, the both of them– were sprawled out on the floor. Neji, too, had risen, and Sasuke stared at him.

All was quiet for a moment, and then – "Uh… How did you guys get _in_ here?"

Sasuke whipped around, and came face-to-face with a boy who looked to be almost his exact same age – the messy dark brown hair and bright eyes indicated something like intelligence.

The five men simply stared at each other. The silence was oppressive, before the man sighed. "Look, whatever, it doesn't matter how you got in. You look lost. Want to get something to eat?"

Naruto's stomach rumbled loudly.

The man grinned. "Thought so. Name's Kiba. C'mon."

---

The rented place was silent as Hinata –carrying finally-clean laundry in her arms– slipped in the doorway, a smugly satisfied, armed-to-the-teeth Tenten behind her. It was a languid silence, built on the decaying bridges of too many chances and not enough time.

A lethargic Sakura looked up from the concrete floor, and stared at Hinata through slumber-bleary eyes. She mumbled "Wha–'s goin' on…?"

Hinata knelt down next to the still-sleepy Princess. She smiled, and murmured "Mi'lady, we ought to get ready to go. Ino will be back soon – I think Temari went to find her, using – using _something_. Tenten is here, and you cousin is still asleep."

"Nnghn… Hina, I wan'a go _home_…"

"I know, Sakura, I know. But we – we can't."

"But… Hina-a…"

"We _can't_, and you _know_ it. And I'm ashamed that you would even want to return. Your mother would never forgive you."

That sentence woke the Princess up, rather better than anything else Hinata had said. Sakura sat up ramrod straight, her green-green eyes blazing fire and seething anger.

"How can you even _say_ that?!" Sakura hissed. Her fingers dug into the sheets, and Hinata was not surprised to see that the Princess was shaking. Of course something like that would set Sakura off.

Hinata shook her head gently. "Because it's true, and you know that. Now get up."

Sakura shivered, a little. The concrete walls and floor leeched the heat from the room on a consistent basis. The Princess stood slowly, one of the blankets wrapped around her shoulders, her face carefully blank. It was silent in the little room, as they waited for the Lady's reaction.

She took a shuddering breath, and nodded slowly. This was not the time to be a child; this was the time to pack, and to mentally prepare for the horribly disorienting feeling that came with world travelling. Now was the time to lay low, and to stay hidden safely away.

Hinata stared at her Lady. The resolve that Sakura was infamous for was back - Hinata could see that ice cold spine of steel that had, for so long, forestalled most proposals of marriage.

Sakura quietly looked around at all her Ladies. There was an odd humming in the air; pent-up tension hung thick like curtains.

It was time to go.

---

Ino was flying, long wheat-blonde hair waving in the air behind her like a golden curtain. As she dodged around the various not-people, she could feel fingers catching in the gold wave – she winced every time she felt them.

Ino had never liked being touched by those she did not know. She especially did not like being touched when upset.

_Temari, Temari, where did Temari say she was going to wait for me…?_ Ino thought to herself.

Ino paused in one of the many sharp-cut pedestrian squares – a little used faction, now, with spark bikes, glitter carriages and the Light Train being so much faster. In the middle of the square, there was a fountain.

Devoid of liquid, there were crystal-sparks of energy running in place of water. Ino stood there, and watched them, transfixed by the razzle-dazzle rainbow of colours.

Temari stood behind her for what felt like a hundred thousands seconds (sixteen hundred, sixty seven minutes; twenty-seven and two thirds of an hour– how did she know that, again?), and quietly murmured "Ino, c'mon. Lady Sakura is waiting. It's time to go."

Ino's back was still turned. "But not home. Home doesn't really… exist for us, anymore, does it, Tema?"

"Not really," Temari smiled sadly.

Ino's shoulders tensed; her fingers clenched into fists. "I – I could have stayed here, Temari. I could have–" she broke off with a strangled half-sob.

It was quiet. Temari understood. Ino had always been the one to give her heart, fast and free. Of course, Ino was not the type to stay in love long – her love came fast and easy, but was true to the bone.

Temari jerked her head mechanically. "Let's go, friend of mine."

The two blonde girls linked arms in that way that old friends seem to have, and easily got lost in the crowd of anti-beings rushing past.

---

"Hey, Ino, are you still-?" Kiba's voice resounded through the house.

It was silent as a grave.

The kitchen light swung tauntingly, casting a blurred, waxy yellow glow to the rickety wooden chairs. Everything not built in metal and light was rickety in SyberSity. Sometimes it made Kiba tired.

The four floaters followed the tall, almost-grown brunette man into the tiny kitchen, and crowded around the kitchen table.

There was single piece of paper sitting on the middle of the table. Kiba reached for it, his fingers shaking. He didn't want to read it. He didn't need to; he already knew she was gone.

_Dear Kiba,  
I'm sorry to have left so quickly. Thank you so much, for everything. I'm leaving tonight, and I won't see you again, ever. Please don't look for me._

_I'm so sorry,  
Ino_

The paper was crinkled and there were odd, wet marks on it, reminiscent of tears. Kiba's head whipped up wildly – she couldn't have been gone long; couldn't have gone far; couldn't have–

"Hell," he murmured. He had company.

"Ino?" a voice asked. It was the dark-haired one; the black and white one, Kiba thought. He nodded, and the man turned to look at the other three floaters.

"You don't think-?" The white-haired one mused.

The blond one –Chrome, he almost looked like Ino's older brother or something– grinned and said "I'm Naruto. This Ino of yours… she wouldn't happen to be blonde, blue-eyed, tall, and gorgeous… would she?"

Kiba's eyes narrowed. "Why'd you want to know?"

The other man –Naruto– continued to grin genially. "Because we're looking for her – her, and that princess. Haven't seen them, have you?"

"Princess? Hell no."

The other brunette in the room picked up the piece of paper, and studied the handwriting for a moment or two.

"That is the Lady Ino's writing, Uchiha."

It was the white-haired one who muttered "M' Suigetsu. Cough it up, man. We're trying to keep her alive, in case you didn't know."

Kiba stared at him. There wasn't a lie on him – and Kiba _knew_ the scent of lies.

All was still as the five men stared each other down. At last, Kiba grumbled "Fine. Just… Chrome, I have – no idea where she might be. She only made a call–"

The call. He could track the call. Hell, Chrome would have a fit; the socially awkward supercomputer was big on privacy and shit, but this was – was an emergency, and if he didn't find her–

"You're not screwing around with me, are you?" Kiba asked slowly.

Naruto shrugged, the grin still fixed in place – he looked pained. "We don't screw around, man. Not about this."

Kiba ran a hand through his hair. The voicepod glimmered dully. It was just hanging there.

He reached for it, and punched in the speed dial number for his most anti-social old friend.

"Hey, Shikamaru… I need a favour."

---

Temari's body felt like it was moving through lead. Part of her (a not-Temari-part; a Chrome-part) was not used to moving at this slow, human speed.

That part was quirking through a series of quadratic equations for the fun of it. Temari's brain had never worked like that before.

So she was a little bit panicked. Ino, walking tiredly beside her, noticed nothing. Temari's stone-face kept her safe yet again.

She could feel the little links that made up Chrome's mainframe – the lightning fast chain mail was invading every bit of intellectual space Temari had ever, in her life had.

Temari realized that she was seeing double. Not good.

And the streets were singing with information. The asphalt –that's what it was called, Temari thought, no respite for the damned– was built on a series of lines that Temari was only beginning to see now. She looked up, and traced the lines of information up through the metal beams that supported this odd-light world, to the dusk-coloured glow from the blanket that hid the sky.

Something fluttered behind Temari's eyelids. It felt – _dirty_. It was like something was crawling beneath her skin. Dirty, but unattached.

And then the rage came – hot, angry, boiling, hissing and spitting, _screaming_ hatred. But, it too, was emotionally unattached. It wasn't hers.

Temari had nothing to be angry about. She looked at her hands – the nails were worn and ragged. It reminded her a little of home; she had never had the time to preen and make herself beautiful the way Ino had loved to, or Sakura had to consistently be.

Temari knew then that this was Chrome's rage – rage at being invaded. That was what the crawling, dirty feeling was. Someone or some_thing_ was hacking through Chrome's records.

And the supercomputer _really_ did not like that, from what Temari could tell.

The rage did not subside –turning to a wildfire in Temari's head– as Chrome was forcefully trying to _burn_ the hacker (_**hackers; crackers; phreak-outs; cypherpunks; netrunners; ravechildren; zippies; extropians; get out of my system before I **_**destroy**_** thee**_–) out of her mainframe system.

The rage turned to _deep_-seated hatred, and turned to a pounding bass-beat in Temari's mind.

The bass-beat turned to one of the worst head-ache Temari had ever had in her life (Morgana, this happened a lot in this horrible, horrible world). The pounding in her head thudded like a heart-beat. She placed a hand to her forehead, and shot a doubled-up glance at Ino. Oh hell, heaven, Morgana and Merlin, _why_?

She stumbled a little.

"Tema?" Ino's voice resounded from far, far away.

"I – I'm fine. Let's just… get back. Lady Sakura needs us."

"And you need some sustenance, weirdo," Ino told her frankly, and more or less pulled her along the rest of the way. Temari's mind was clouded over with streams of ridiculously angry bites of information (Chrome was still raging at whatever it was that was hacking through the layers of firewalls so meticulously installed in her central processing unit), and she noticed very little of the rest of the walk home.

So absorbed was Temari in stopping the pain, she did not notice what files the hackers (_**cracker, little one, it is a cracker, this being belongs to the darker side of this world**_, Chrome hissed in her ear) were after.

She did not hear the quiet phone conversation held over a private line; a private line not connected to Chrome's general processor.

---

"_Do you have it_?"

"_Shaddup, Mutt. I'm better then that – crap, Chrome's not happy, dude, you _owe_ me. Cracking her firewalls is taking everything I've got. If this fucking crashes…_"

"_Yeah, yeah, I'll owe you forever. I don't care. Where did that call link to_?"

"'_M sending you the coordinates now. This is troublesome._"

"_Are you coming_?"

"_Might as well. Something's got you pissed off._"

"…_Screw you. See you in five_."

The line clicked off, and a brunette boy with wild hair and wild eyes waited in sick yellow light for the coordinates to print themselves off the voicepod.

---

Sakura was still wrapped in the thin blanket when Ino dragged an almost-comatose Temari in through the door.

"Guys?" she murmured, eyes half-lidded.

"We're back, Sak-ura…" Ino murmured back, and collapsed at the front door.

Hinata took charge then, her mouth set in a grim line. "Come along, Ladies. Help me finish packing. We leave in a quarter of an hour. Temari…?"

Temari's honey-gravel voice filled the room, softer then the quietest sigh; softer then the softest down. "I'll… I will be fine. Give me… a little while."

The room returned to silence after that.

Then there was a flurry of movement, as the few mobile girls in the room rushed to do as they were told. Sakura went to where Temari was splayed liked a ragdoll, and very carefully sat down next to her friend.

"You okay?" she asked softly.

"Yes, mi'lady," Temari breathed.

"Not a lady anymore." Sakura whispered. Over the shuffling noise made by the other girls, Sakura's voice was lost. Her face was left to a neutral mask, and she helped Ino pull Temari towards the center of the room.

The Chronometer would need space to function properly – perhaps zapping them all in such an enclosed space the first time had been the issue.

But perhaps not.

Sakura's fingers closed around the cold metal of the Chronometer. It was always so very cold – leeched the heat out of anything and everything living that touched it. Sakura shivered a little, and gingerly handed it to Temari, half-asleep in the middle of the floor.

It was like all the life returned to Temari as soon as she touched it. Her eyes lit up, her face flushed, and she up without further ado.

It was eerie, and it was all Sakura could do not to shiver again.

The room was a flurry of activity for the next five minutes. But soon, the bags were packed, the pretty-Ino-clothes were put away, the travelling cloaks were out, and they were, oddly enough, ready to leave. The lights were off, and it was very, very silent – a bone-deep tiredness left by what Temari knew must be culture shock.

The five girls sat in a semi-circle around Temari, and waited for her to click open the Chronometer.

It was different now, Temari supposed. The Chronometer reacted to her thoughts – not her touch. It was… more then a little odd. But she did not question it. Perhaps it was better to simply allow things to exist as they were.

"Time to go…" Karin murmured dryly, even as the oddly familiar-yet-entirely-alien wind whipped up; it was curdled in the warm blue light.

Hinata could feel the wind turn fierce – it had done this last time.

_Be strong, Hinata. They need you to be strong when things fall apart_, she told herself firmly. It was almost exactly the same – the insane wind, the comforting light, the–

"Sixty-four seconds…" the sedate, honey-gravel voice murmured.

What was _not_ the same was the thud of boots. It sounded like someone was… outside the door. Hinata's head shot up, and her eyes widened in terror. She whisper-screamed "Temari, _hurry_!"

"Thirty-seven seconds…"

The other girls were looking in the direction of the door now – they had all heard the commotion and the sound of voices. They all were staring at each other fearfully.

"They're _in_ there, I _know_ it!" a voice growled.

It was dead silent in the room, even as the wind swirled around the six Ladies, violent and uncontrollable.

"Twelve seconds…"

"The _door_–!"

"Eight seconds…"

The door slammed open, and six men stood in the doorway. Ino's eyes landed on Kiba, his gaze frantic.

"I'M SORR–!"

Her scream was cut off like leaves off a tree with a pair of shears as the six girls were stolen away.


	11. Of Headaches and Olive Trees

**disclaimer**: _BOOHISS_ x2.  
**dedication**: to sonya and les. because you're sexy.**  
notes1**: i suck at life. let's move on.  
**notes2**: you're halfway around the world, and i'm just a day behind.

…–…

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Anguished gutter breathing was the only sound left to be heard. The room was empty of feeling.

Sasuke slammed his fist against a wall, and half-snarled "So close…"

The empty silence in the room seemed to swell and stretch, filling the tiny kitchen with an unbearable sense of weight. It hurt to breathe, almost.

"Can we go now?" Suigetsu's voice was low, and strained.

"_Yes_."

There was a flash, and the room was left empty.

…–…

Hurtling through time and space was no less disorienting the second time around. Lady Sakura had a feeling that she would never become entirely accustomed to it – having one's particles pulled in so many directions at once was a rather jarring experience.

But, as oddly familiar as it was, it was deeply different. Sakura could see _everything_ – speeding through dark blue, watching the flickering images of what Sakura realized were other worlds.

There was swirling white cloth over ink-black horse-hide in rushing wind; a flash of metal in sunlight; two eerily stunning women with slanted eyes in many layers of beautifully embroidered fabric were giggling behind gilt fans; a man wrapped in a deep burgundy travelling cloak stood tall on the stern of a ship, his blue-green gaze steady and unwavering beneath unruly red hair-

The images were cut off, and Sakura realized that they were about to be thrust into their newest destination.

They hit the ground running. Mass chaos spiralled around the six girls as the world imploded around them – there was screams of laughter, and yelling, so much yelling, but it was oddly good-natured. There were catcalls, and the fresh scent of baking bread was caught on the not-out-of-place summer breeze.

And Sakura was _beyond_ confused, as to where she was.

It was all she could do to shoot after Hinata in a panic-induced blur, dodging around the various other beings in her way. Much of all Sakura could see was olive-toned skin, colourful skirts in various bright colours, and long, dark, curly hair.

The six disoriented girls scattered, losing each other in the flurry of confusion.

The heavy weight of the silver and steel sword at her side was Sakura's only reassurance as she suddenly found herself very alone.

…–…

"What in Chrome's name–?"

Temari's brain went _haywire_.

She was shaking and shaking, the lack of fibre optic connections terrifying both the genius girl, and the pixels of supercomputer that were hardwired into her skull.

Temari's vision was blurring, and it was all Temari could do to cling to whoever it was, that was leading her away from the screaming noise and the chaos of the market. The cobbled streets felt vaguely familiar, like something out of a distant childhood dream. Odd, distorted memories flooded Temari's mind – memories of laughter and running barefoot, trying to catch a flash of golden-red. Temari could hardly think.

Tenten tightened her grip on Temari's arm; it was she that was leading the stumbling girl, a grim set to her jaw, her auburn hair flashing copper in the hot-bright sunlight. She kept close to Temari, kept her grasp firm.

Tenten had lost her princess, and while it irked her, she knew that Sakura was far more then self-sufficient. Besides, Tenten had bigger things to worry about – Temari's sanity, for instance.

This was _not good_.

Tenten hauled Temari into the shadows of one of the side-streets, off the main venue. It was darker, quiet. Better. She murmured "Are you okay?"

A sigh escaped Temari –Tenten wasn't sure what kind of sigh it was, but it was there–, and she sagged against the wall, resting her forehead against cool stone of the white-washed walls.

"My head – hurts. I don't – it just _hurts_."

Tenten bit her lip, and scanned the tiny area around them out of habit. The street was long, but narrow; she would see someone coming a mile away. She turned back to Temari, even as the other girl slid to the ground, holding her head.

"_Why_ today, of all days?" Tenten mumbled, and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Psst! You!"

Tenten whipped around, drawing the small, dangerous dagger that she kept belted to her waist, guard up, teeth clenched, prepared to knife whoever it was that had spoken.

But there was no one.

The street was empty. There was just a creaky door; simple wood, simple hinges, and open only a crack.

"_Listen_, child!"

"Excuse me?" Tenten hissed, eyes narrowed.

There was an exasperated grumble-cough, and the wood door opened another centimetre. The same voice hissed in return "In here! Your friend, too, we don't have much time!"

Tenten's eyes flicked back and forth, between the curled-on-the-ground Temari, and the door.

She realized that she didn't have much choice. "Come on, Temari. Get up. We'll get you some ice. Or something."

Temari made a sound between a scream and a sob that made Tenten grit her teeth. She bent down, slipped an arm around Temari, and forced her up.

"_Ay dio_, child, _here_!"

It was a tiny old woman, surprisingly springy on her feet. Knarled hands wrapped around Temari's other side, and Tenten could only see a flash of twinkling brown eyes, and wiry grey hair, before the old woman whisked them both through the creaky door, and into the dark.

For a moment, Tenten stood very still, her arm still wrapped around Temari's waist, and waited for her eyes to adjust.

"There now, child – _ay, aspetta_!" the old woman barked at the both of them. "Here, lay her down here, she needs to rest."

Tenten did as she was told, and helped Temari sit on the single cot in the room.

The only sound in the room, then, was the echo of scraped knees and inexplicable summer heat from outside, radiating in through the still-barely-open door.

The old woman sat in a chair and hummed a soft litany in a language that didn't make sense, but was beautiful anyway, her eyes far away.

Tenten didn't understand.

"…Who _are_ you?"

The woman cast Tenten a sharp look, the look in her brown eyes unfathomable. There was a vague sense of _knowing_, there, and it made very little sense to Tenten.

"It matters not. Your friend–" she paused, and looked at Temari. Tenten was left with little doubt as to who she meant. "–will be safe here."

"How can I trust you?"

The old woman sighed something out again in that odd, beautiful language, her nose scrunching up in a strangely familiar way. "_Pesta_ – you don't know if you can. But you must. You have someone else to find, do you not?"

Tenten clenched her jaw, and the old woman smiled wryly.

"I _will_ be back," Tenten promised. She swept out of the little hut, and closed the thick wodden door behind her.

She didn't even think to question how the woman had known she was looking for someone else.

…–…

Laughter was the first thing that registered.

Pandemonium was the second.

Karin's hair was a flaming beacon, flashing radiation-sick-red in the sunlight. Her fingers were knitted through Ino's, gripped tight – vice-grip, caught like a rat in a trap.

She ran, because she didn't know what else to do.

Too emotionally exhausted to even register where they were going, Karin allowed Ino to whip her into the shade and safety of a private groove. Olives – they were olive trees, Karin thought in wonder. Growing right there, right out of the ground, like it was completely natural!

Karin was too exhausted to realize that she was thinking about this place like it was home – olives didn't grow at home. It was too cold.

She sank to the ground, the world turning to a fuzzy-blurry smear around her.

"Get up," Ino called, from somewhere very far away.

Karin just shook her head, violently-red hair swaying in front of her vision. No, no, there was no reason – the sky was a different blue then she was used to, but blue was better then purple, and where were they, again? What were they doing, again?

Karin sunk into a haze of half-remembered musings, and Ino sank down next to her, determined to outwait this storm.

…–…

Hinata ran for her life.

Lost in the chaos that was the roiling mass of marketplace, Hinata got pushed up, and pressed against the wall of one of the hutches. Tossed around like a ship in the midst of a hurricane, it was almost more then the girl could do, to hold on and not get swept under the stampede of feet.

_This was inconvenient_, Hinata thought, bothered. Her Lady and her friends had disappeared.

She needed to find a way to remedy this. Hinata ducked down, and latched herself to the wood of the hawker's stand that she'd been deposited by. If she was lucky, she'd manage to cling there, until the market-place had calmed.

Hinata closed her eyes, and took a slow, deep breath in. _Calm, calm, be calm. You must find Lady Sakura, or all will be lost. Calm, Hinata, calm_. High-noon sunshine hit the back of her neck and burned. Scents assaulted her nose; baking bread, cooking meat, human sweat, rotting fruit – they seasoned the air, and Hinata struggled not to vomit.

This was not helping.

Small, calloused fingers closed around her wrist. Hinata's snapped her eyes open, and her head around, and met Tenten's eyes. The relief there was palpable.

"Morgana, you're okay – get up, we need to get back to Temari – have you seen Sakura or Ino or Karin or _anyone_?"

That was everyone mentioned, Hinata thought, amused, but decided not to point it out. Tenten looked frantic, and it was best not to frazzle her, in this state. "No, just you – did you see where Sakura–?"

Tenten shook her head, one of the red ribbons that kept her hair tried back coming loose. A smile quirked Hinata's lips. She would have to fix that later.

"Sakura can take care of herself for a bit. We – _you_, rather, because after I get you to Temari, I'm going to–find everyone else – need to worry about Temari, right now, Hina, it's bad, I don't know what's wrong with her, and–" Tenten broke off, and stared at the ground, angry.

Hinata nodded, and kept her grip on Tenten's hand.

There was identical, empty fear inside them both, and Hinata allowed Tenten to lead her away, deep into the bowels of this new world.

…–…

Somewhere else, across the city, another flash of light burst across the sky. Seven bodies fell through the cross-dimensional rift, and landed with a crash on the top of a roof.

Three men, garbed in white robes and black shirts and red scarves, stood there, and stared.

Three identical, dangerous smiles broke out across their faces.

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**notes3**: i hate everything about this chapter. it gave my such trouble (the writers block made me _livid_, you have no idea), and because of that, it sucks. i apologize, for that.  
**notes4**: DISLIKE, WORLD, DISLIKE.


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